


White Like Snow

by FallFromtheStars



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, But mostly fluff, Characters and Relationships to be added as they appear, Developing Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Kitsune Komaeda Nagito, Komahina centric, M/M, SO MUCH FLUFF, Smut, Suicidal Thoughts, University student Hinata Hajime
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:06:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 37,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26796337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallFromtheStars/pseuds/FallFromtheStars
Summary: Hinata Hajime is a stressed university student with no purpose in life. Lost in his thoughts, he ends up feeding a white fox who ends up changing his life.(Kitsune au because I love Kitsune Komaeda)(Updates every Saturday)
Relationships: Hinata Hajime/Komaeda Nagito, Nanami Chiaki/Sonia Nevermind, Soda Kazuichi/Tanaka Gundham
Comments: 949
Kudos: 1302





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Everyone should thank Laura (Verdeaqua here on ao3 and canipleasehavecuddles on Tumblr) because if she didn’t exist this wouldn’t be here

Hinata Hajime was very close to slamming his head against his desk. He was tired, stressed, and honestly wanted to be doing anything else. He stared down at his calculus homework blankly. Nothing was making sense. 

Hinata grabbed his hair and groaned. He had been working for the last five hours and felt like he made no progress. He just wanted to sleep. Preferably forever. Hinata sighed heavily. He was used to those thoughts by now. It’s what he always thought after all. 

_Maybe some fresh air will help_

Hinata left his room and headed toward the back door, glad that his parents weren’t home. As soon as he opened the door, he was met with a blast of cold air. The snow coating the ground looked like a white sheet. His parents’ home was in the middle of the woods and Hinata had never felt more glad for that solitude. 

Hinata stepped out into the cold and let out a loud sigh, his breath visible. The cold bit at his skin, but Hinata barely felt it. He felt lost. Every day was the same. Wake up, get ready, go to university, come home, do university work, sleep. Even his free days were filled with studying. 

Not to mention the fact that his parents were strict. He was only allowed to have Souda and Nanami over and even that was rare. Hinata was lonely. Extremely lonely. No matter what he did it never turned out right. Maybe, he should just-

Movement caught his eye. Hinata turned toward the sound and his eyes widened at what he saw. A small white fox was moving slowly towards his house. Hinata had never seen a pure white fox before. The beautiful creature was incredibly skinny, it’s ribs showing through its pelt. 

Hinata silently walked inside. He was sure that they had some cooked chicken that he could warm up in the microwave. He impatiently tapped the kitchen counter as he waited for the chicken to heat up, worried that the fox would already be gone. 

As soon as the microwave went off, Hinata grabbed the plate and ran outside. Thankfully, the skinny fox was still there. 

“Hey,” Hinata tried to sound as gentle as possible. The fox looked at him in fear and looked ready to run. 

“I-It’s okay! I’m not going to hurt you,” to prove his point, Hinata threw a piece of the chicken towards the fox. It cautiously approached the piece, and after sniffing it, immediately started eating. Hinata smiled slightly. 

“I’m guessing it tastes good.” Hinata threw another piece and the fox immediately ate it up. 

“You don’t have to eat so fast. This is all yours.” The little fox looked at Hinata as he spoke, it’s gray eyes curious. Hinata threw another piece and was surprised to see the fox eating it slower. 

“You’re pretty smart. I wish I was as smart as you,” Hinata sighed as he continued throwing the chicken. Even as it ate, the fox’s ears were pricked and it seemed to be focusing on Hinata. 

“I wonder what it’s like living in the wild. Must be tough for you to end up so skinny.” The fox barked as if in agreement and Hinata laughed. 

It didn’t take long for all the chicken to be gone and Hinata sighed. “Looks like our meeting is over,” Hinata said as he showed the empty plate. The white fox simply tilted its head. 

Hinata smiled at the little creature. “Maybe I’ll see you again. I hope so.” With those parting words, Hinata walked inside and watched as the fox ran back into the woods. 

Well, at least something new happened. 

__________________________

“Dude, you look like shit.”

Hinata looked up from what was probably his fifth cup of coffee. Souda Kazuichi was busy tinkering with one of his gadgets as he spoke. 

“You don’t look much better,” Hinata responded as he looked at the bags under Souda’s eyes. 

“My dark prince was busy working on one of his projects. He forgot that rest is necessary,” Souda’s boyfriend, Tanaka Gundham, was sitting with the two of them. All three of them were waiting for their next class to start. 

“Yeah. Definitely wasn’t up for other reasons,” Hinata rolled his eyes as Souda became flushed. 

“Hey hey,” a soft voice sounded nearby. Hinata looked up and smiled when he saw his childhood friend, Nanami Chiaki. Nanami sat down in the seat next to Hinata and turned to him. 

“Anything interesting happen?” Nanami asked. Nanami always asked that question even though the answer was usually no. This time it was different. 

“Actually… Yeah.” Nanami smiled at him and gestured for him to tell her. 

“Well… I saw a white fox in the backyard yesterday. It was really skinny so I fed it some chicken.” At the mention of the fox, Tanaka immediately seemed interested. 

“A fox of white? And you gave it nutrition?” Tanaka asked. Hinata nodded. 

“Typical. The white one may have already developed a dependence on you.” Hinata raised an eyebrow. Tanaka sighed heavily. 

“If this white demon beast was hungry then it may come back and rely on you for sustenance,” Tanaka explained. Hinata nodded slowly. He knew he should be worried by this development, but for some reason he wasn’t. He felt excitement flow through his body at the thought of seeing the little fox again. 

“We have a test in chemistry today, right?” As Souda finished speaking, Hinata’s good mood evaporated. 

The test… Right. 

Nanami seemed to immediately pick up on what was happening. “... You didn’t study did you?” 

Hinata was ready to die. 

_______________________

He failed that test. He just knew it. 

He guessed on almost every question and he already felt a headache coming in. All Hinata wanted to do was sleep. No matter what he did he was never good enough. 

Hinata shook his head to try to get rid of the thoughts, but they just kept on coming. Before he knew it, he found himself in the backyard, breathing heavily. Having another panic attack did not sound like fun today. 

Once he calmed down, he finally opened his eyes only to find another pair looking back at him. The white fox from the day before was there. Hinata immediately noticed that the fox was closer than it was the day before. 

“You want food. Give me a second and I’ll be back,” Hinata spoke quickly before heading inside. After a quick search on his phone he found out that foxes could eat blueberries. 

Hinata hurriedly grabbed the blueberries from the fridge and headed outside. He was relieved to see the fox hadn’t moved. 

“These are different from what you ate yesterday. I hope you like them,” Hinata said as he threw one of them. The fox sniffed at the berry curiously before eating it. It’s tail started wagging. 

Hinata felt a smile grace his face. He already felt calmer. He sat on the cold ground and continued to throw the blueberries. 

“Today was a bad day. I guess I shouldn’t expect anything else,” Hinata began to talk, knowing that the fox wouldn’t be able to understand. However, the little creature’s ears were pricked, as if it was listening. 

“Sometimes I feel like everything I do will just end in failure. That maybe the world is better without me.” At the last comment, the little fox stopped eating and raised its head. Hinata felt a laugh bubble up in his throat. The fox’s muzzle was colored purple from eating. 

Hinata soon felt the laugh erupt out of him as he saw the fox licking its lips. Hinata’s whole body was shaking as he finally stopped laughing, tears in his eyes. He reached for another blueberry and accidentally threw it too close to him. He expected the little fox to stay away. To his surprise it walked up and ate it. 

Hinata was curious. He wasn’t sure if this would work, but he took a blueberry and held it in his outstretched hand. 

“Will you eat from my hand? I won’t hurt you I promise,” Hinata spoke as gently as possible. The fox was clearly cautious as it walked towards Hinata. If Hinata made any sudden movements he was sure the fox would sprint away into the woods. He held his breath as it came closer. 

It cautiously sniffed at his palm before licking up the blueberry. Hinata smiled. 

“Should I name you?” Hinata asked. The fox’s eyes seemed to widen before it began to hop around excitedly. Hinata chuckled. 

“Are you a boy?” Hinata tilted his head as he asked. The fox barked in response. 

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Hinata said with a grin. He hummed in thought as he looked at the fox. The fox’s eyes were bright and seemed to almost sparkle. 

“You’re kind of like a kid, huh. How about “Ko”?” Child in Japanese, it seemed to fit the little creature. Ko’s tail began to wag and he let out another bark. 

“Ko it is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let’s play a game of how long will it take the writer to die because he’s writing three aus at once


	2. Chapter 2

Hinata was tired. Of everything. 

He couldn’t stop stressing over that test. A full day had passed, and he was still beating himself up. He knew there was nothing he could do to fix it, but it didn’t make him feel any better. He looked at the time only to sigh. It was too early to feed Ko, so he wouldn’t be waiting. 

The little white fox was hungry. He knew that was all there was to it. There was nothing special about him to make Ko stay around. If someone else started feeding him, he would just get food from them. 

Hinata laughed. _I really am replaceable_

He stood up and decided to go outside anyway. As soon as he opened the door, he was blasted with cold air. Yet, he barely felt it. Just like he thought, Ko was nowhere to be seen. 

Hinata sat down on the cold ground and pulled his legs to his chest. He had barely slept the previous night. He felt his eyelids wanting to close, but he forced them open. He couldn’t stop thinking about how much of a failure he was. 

A flash of movement caught his eyes. Hinata stared at the white shape running towards him. The fox’s white coat almost completely blended into the snow. Ko’s tail was wagging as he stopped in front of Hinata. 

“Sorry, Ko. I don’t have food. I’ll bring some later,” Hinata’s voice was deadpan as he showed his hands. He expected the little fox to run back into the woods. To his surprise, Ko sat down and wrapped his tail around his front paws. 

Hinata chuckled, dryly. “I never told you my name. I’m Hinata Hajime. I’m a nineteen year old and I’m a university student. Not that I’m any good at it.” Ko’s gray eyes seemed to bore into Hinata. It was as if he was really listening. 

“I recently took a test that I completely guessed on. So, I know I failed it. I guess I really am a failure,” Hinata went on. At the last comment, Ko stood up. 

“Maybe I should just…” Hinata trailed off. Maybe that was the best choice. 

“Yeah… That sounds nice.” When he finished speaking, Hinata felt a tugging on his pant leg. Ko was pulling on Hinata’s pant leg with a determined look in his eyes. 

“Wh-What are you doing?” Hinata stood up. Ko let go of his pant leg and ran a bit away, only to come back. He repeated the motion a few times before Hinata understood. 

“Do you want me to chase you?” Ko barked in reply, his tail wagging wildly. Hinata cautiously took a step towards the fox, who readied himself to run. Hinata charged. 

The little fox giggled as he ran around the backyard. He never strayed into the forest, instead choosing to run in the places Hinata could safely follow. Hinata found himself smiling. 

“I’m gonna get you!” Hinata laughed as he lunged for the giggling fox. Ko flopped onto the ground and showed his belly, giggling the whole time. Without thinking, Hinata reached down and began rubbing the fox’s belly. 

Ko’s giggling picked up as his tail whipped the floor. Hinata marveled at the softness of the fur. As Hinata petted a certain part of Ko’s belly, Ko squealed and gently nipped Hinata’s hand. Hinata laughed. 

“Are you ticklish there?” Hinata asked as he pet the place again. Ko squealed again and squirmed around. Hinata smiled at the fox’s antics. He petted the fox’s soft face. The only thing on his mind was his new friend. 

“How about I get you some food?” 

___________________________

“Dude! I thought you said you didn’t study!” Souda’s loud voice rang around the room. Hinata was just as shocked. He got a 95. On the test he guessed on. 

“I didn’t! I guess I just got lucky,” Hinata tried to rationalize. He didn’t understand this at all. 

“... Your luck must be really good,” Nanami said as she put away her own test. Hinata just shook his head. He was happy that he did well, but he didn’t understand any of this. 

He walked out of the lecture hall with Nanami and Souda, his mind wandering the whole time. He could understand lucking out on a couple of questions, but not THAT many. 

“... Hinata?” Souda’s voice interrupted Hinata’s thoughts. 

“What?”

“Dude, you’re really out of it. I asked if you wanted to come and study with me,” Souda playfully elbowed Hinata as he talked. Hinata opened his phone and looked at the time. 

“Sorry, Souda. I have to be home in time to feed Ko.” Nanami tilted her head when Hinata was finished talking. 

“... Ko?”

“Oh! Uh, he’s the fox I was talking about,” Hinata explained as he rubbed the back of his head. 

“You named the thing?” Souda asked, incredulously. Hinata stiffened up as Souda called Ko ‘a thing’. 

“Yeah. I did. Now, I really should get going,” Hinata mumbled as he broke into a run. Souda and Nanami watched as he ran from them. 

“What’s wrong with him?” Souda asked, worried. 

“... I think Hinata is attached to the fox.” Nanami’s soft voice trailed off as her mind wandered. Maybe she’d be able to meet Ko one day. 

____________________

As soon as Hinata made it home, he ran to the fridge to get the chicken. He tapped to his foot impatiently as he waited for it to heat up. He looked at the back door and smiled at what he saw through the glass. 

Ko was waiting patiently right in front of the door. Hinata waved to him and the fox’s tail started wagging. As soon as the timer went off, Hinata grabbed the plate with the chicken and walked to the back door. 

Ko stepped away from the door to allow Hinata through. Ko jumped around as Hinata fully emerged from the house. 

“Hey Ko! I got some food for you,” Hinata smiled as he set down the plate. Ko immediately walked forward and began to eat the chicken on the plate. Hinata watched with a big smile on his face. Ko didn’t look as skinny as he did on their first meeting. He was clearly getting healthier. 

“Something really weird happened today,” Hinata began. Ko’s ears pricked as he ate, as if he was listening. 

“So, remember that test I was talking about? Well, I actually did good on it. Really good. Even though I guessed. I guess it was just dumb luck.” At the last comment, he could hear Ko giggling as he continued to eat. 

When he was done, Ko licked his lips and flopped in front of Hinata. Hinata found himself laughing as he began to pet the fox’s belly. 

“Maybe you’re a good luck charm,” Ko giggled as Hinata spoke, his tail kicking up snow as it wagged. Without thinking, Hinata scooped up the little fox and placed him on his lap. 

“I hope this is okay,” Hinata whispered as he continued to pet the fox. Ko squirmed until he seemed to find a comfortable position. Hinata smiled as he stroked the soft fur. 

“You’re my best friend,” Hinata whispered. Ko’s tail picked up speed at the comment. Hinata laughed as he hugged the little ball of fluff close. 

Ko’s giggles and wags didn’t stop until Hinata left for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just got my Meshinui I wonder what crimes he will commit  
> 


	3. Chapter 3

“I have something new for you, Ko!”

Hinata walked out the back door and was immediately greeted with happy squeals. Ko’s tail was wagging, and he was jumping in place. Hinata laughed at the cute fox and set the plate down. 

Hinata researched and was excited to see how flexible fox diets are. One of the things they can eat are strawberries, something Hinata’s family always had. 

Ko sniffed at the strawberries before chewing on one. Ko’s eyes lit up as he chewed and swallowed. Hinata’s eyes widened as Ko rabidly began to eat the rest of the strawberries. 

“I guess you like strawberries,” Hinata chuckled. When there were no strawberries left, Ko began licking the plate until it was completely clean. 

Ko jumped over the plate and flopped onto the ground, exposing his stomach. Ko was clearly demanding to be petted. Hinata ran his fingers through the silky fur with a happy sigh. 

“You’re so cute,” Hinata said. Ko made a happy squeal at the words and Hinata laughed. 

“Smart too. Maybe, I can teach you tricks,” Hinata stood up, much to Ko’s disappointment. Hinata hummed as he looked at the eager fox. 

“Sit.” Ko sat down. Hinata faltered. 

“Uhh… good job,” Hinata pet Ko’s cheek as a reward. 

“Roll over.” Ko rolled over in the snow. Hinata’s eyes were wide. 

“You’re… really smart,” Hinata said as he pet under Ko’s chin to reward him. 

“Um… Jump into my arms,” Hinata spread his arms to emphasize. Ko tilted his head. 

“Don’t worry. I’ll catch you,” Hinata smiled. Ko paused for a moment before walking a few steps back. The little fox crouched, preparing himself before leaping up. 

Ko landed right at Hinata’s chest. Hinata wrapped his arms around the ball of fluff and laughed happily. Ko’s front paws and chin were resting on his shoulder. 

“I never knew I’d be holding a fox today.” Ko giggled, as if in agreement.

Ko began to wiggle in Hinata’s arms, so he placed the little fox back on the ground. Ko barked at him and started walking away. However, Ko kept looking back, as if to make sure Hinata wasn’t leaving. 

Hinata watched as Ko vanished into the woods. He sighed. Maybe picking him up scared him. Just as he was about to go back inside, Ko came trotting out of the woods with something in his jaws. Ko ran up to Hinata and placed the item at his feet. 

“Is this… A four-leafed clover?” Hinata asked as he picked it up. He was amazed. 

“This is really lucky, you know?” Hinata smiled as the little fox squealed. Hinata stared at the clover in amazement. 

“I’ll take good care of it. I’ll press it so it keeps its shape and everything. Maybe it’ll be my good luck charm,” Hinata said as he stroked the fox. 

“But, I think you’re more of a good luck charm.”

___________________

“Ko means a lot to you.”

Hinata startled at Nanami’s statement. They were sitting at a coffee shop, working on schoolwork. Well, Hinata was working on schoolwork. Nanami was playing on her Switch.

“Why do you say that?” Hinata asked as he worked on his homework. 

“You seem so much happier. I can always tell the days that you saw Ko before you left for school because you have a spring to your step. You actually look happy to go home,” Nanami had a genuine smile on his face. 

Hinata was shocked. He didn’t expect Nanami, the girl who always zoned out and had a hard time talking to others, to pick up on all of that. Hinata rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. 

“Yeah... It’s nice having someone waiting for me,” Hinata smiled. Nanami looked at him, sympathetically. 

“Are your parents coming home from their work trip soon?” Nanami asked. Hinata huffed. 

“Yeah. Not like it will make a difference. They’re never home anyways,” Hinata scribbled on his paper. He always held resentment towards his parents for never being there. 

“Oh yeah! Check this out!” Hinata exclaimed as he reached into his bag. He eagerly took out a book and opened it. He was happy for an excuse to change the subject. 

“Is that… A four-leafed clover?” Nanami leaned in and looked at it with interest. 

“Ko gave it to me! I told Souda about it, but he thought I was lying,” Hinata huffed. To be honest, Hinata didn’t care that Souda didn’t believe him. Ko went out of his way to bring him a gift and he would treasure it. 

Nanami hummed as she looked at the clover. “He must be pretty smart,” she stated. Hinata nodded enthusiastically. Ko was the smartest animal Hinata had ever met and he was proud that the white fox wanted to stay around him. Nanami seemed to pick up on Hinata’s excitement. 

“He’s definitely special,” Hinata smiled. 

“Hmm… So, am I being replaced as your best friend?” Nanami grinned. Hinata tried to hold in his laugh. 

“I guess you’ll have to work harder,” Hinata smiled mischievously. Nanami giggled. 

“I don’t know. He seems to have really won over your heart.”

________________________

Hinata thought back to what Nanami said as he walked home. He was feeling happier now that Ko was in his life. Ko was always there to listen and play with. He didn’t have to worry around Ko. 

Hinata shivered as the cold air bit into his skin. It really was cold today. He was excited to get into his house and warm up. 

As soon as the house came into sight, Hinata began running only to skid to a halt. Ko was sitting in front of the door, pressed completely against it. His small frame was shaking. 

Hinata called out to him. Ko perked up and attempted to get up, only to collapse. Hinata hurried to the little fox’s side. 

“Are you cold?” Hinata asked. Ko made a high pitched noise. Hinata bit his lip. This could be a very bad idea. 

“Um… Just don’t wreck anything or pee anywhere, okay?” Hinata said as he opened the front door. Ko huffed, as if offended, before trotting into the house. 

Ko looked around, as if taking in his surroundings. Hinata could see his nose twitching as he sniffed. Ko made an excited sound as he walked further into the house. 

Hinata walked behind Ko and watched as he investigated everything. Hinata smiled as Ko stood on his back legs to try and see what was on the kitchen counter. 

“There’s nothing on there. That’s where I make food,” Hinata explained. Ko’s tail started wagging as he listened to Hinata talk. Sometimes it really felt like Ko could understand him. 

Ko trotted into the living room and jumped on the couch. He made a startled noise as he stared down at the couch. Hinata laughed as Ko jumped into the air to pounce on the couch. 

“Feels weird, huh? It’s soft because you’re supposed to rest on it,” Hinata explained as he sat down. Ko squealed and hurried to lay on Hinata’s lap. Hinata smiled at the little fox’s antics. Ko squealed as Hinata kissed him on the head. 

“How about you rest here with me? We can watch TV,” Hinata recommended. Ko tilted his head at the end of Hinata’s sentence. He watched as Hinata grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. Ko made a startled sound as it flicked on. 

“Hm. You won’t judge me for watching romance movies, will you?” Hinata asked. Ko seemed transfixed on the TV. The only indication that he heard Hinata at all were his ears turning to face him. 

Hinata turned on a romance movie and smiled as Ko seemed to watch it too. Ko squealed as people appeared on the screen and began speaking. Hinata ran his fingers through Ko’s fur to try and calm him down. 

It was Hinata’s turn to yelp as Ko grabbed his fingers. Hinata panicked, only to realize that Ko wasn’t biting down. Ko was keeping two of his fingers in his mouth and would gently nibble every once and awhile. Hinata sighed in relief. 

“As long as you don’t draw blood, you can nibble,” Hinata said. Ko’s tail started wagging. 

“Is this your version of holding my hand?” Hinata asked. Ko nibbled on his fingers again. Hinata laughed. 

“I’ll take that as a yes.” The movie continued on, but Hinata was having a hard time concentrating. He kept looking at Ko and thinking. 

Ko really was incredibly smart. He acted like he could understand what Hinata said and would respond appropriately. It made Hinata wonder what made the little fox so smart. 

Hinata was startled when he heard a rumbling sound. Ko’s eyes were closed in satisfaction and he was… purring? 

“Are you happy?” Hinata asked. Ko’s tail wagged and he squealed around Hinata’s fingers. Hinata pulled Ko closer to feel the rumbling coming from him. 

“Thank you, Ko. I promise to always take care of you. So, always come back, ok?” 

Ko rubbed his face against Hinata’s chest. The rumbling only got louder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Foxes can make purring noises!
> 
> Also, Meshi obtained a hope fragment!  
> 


	4. Chapter 4

The sound of a car pulling into the driveway woke Hinata up. He grumbled as he opened his eyes. He was still on the couch with a blanket around his knees. Ko was peacefully sleeping on his chest. 

The sound of a car door closing is what made him realize. His parents were home. 

“Shit. Shit. Shit.” He didn’t have time to put Ko outside. Thinking fast, he scooped Ko up and shoved him under his shirt before pulling the blanket up to cover them. Hopefully, the two barriers would be enough. 

Ko squealed in shock and began thrashing around. 

“Ko, please stay still and be quiet! Please!” Hinata begged. To his surprise, Ko’s struggle stopped. He sighed in relief as his parents came in. 

“Hello, Hajime,” his mother smiled at him. He muttered out a greeting as well. Every conversation with his parents turned awkward since Hinata still held resentment for them. 

“Your dad and I agreed that another family trip would be good for us,” his mother said. Hinata wanted to slam his head against the wall. His parents had been making him go on these trips since he was fourteen when they realized that they didn’t know anything about their son. 

All the trips ended the same. Awkward family meals and visiting places that his parents wanted to see and not him. He felt Ko fidget slightly, but he stayed still. 

His mother tried to strike up a conversation, but when she failed, as usual, she left to put her luggage away with his dad. As soon as they were gone, Hinata got up, pulled Ko out of his shirt, and scooped him up. 

As soon as they were outside, he placed Ko on the ground and began to pet him. 

“Good job! Very good job!” Hinata praised. Ko’s tail wagged quickly and he immediately began to nibble on Hinata’s fingers. 

“You really like doing that, huh? I don’t mind,” Hinata said. Ko’s happy squeal made Hinata’s heart lift. 

Hinata cautiously reached for Ko’s paw with the hand that wasn’t busy being nibbled. Ko let him pick up his paw. 

“This is how humans hold hands. It’s a sign of affection,” Hinata said. He smiled as Ko’s tail wagged faster. Hinata looked at the paw and laughed. 

“Your paw pads are so cute! Light pink just like your nose,” Hinata said. Ko squealed happily around Hinata’s fingers. Hinata began to tap on the pads and was happy when Ko let him. 

He knew he needed to go inside to talk to his parents, but he didn’t want to. He wanted to stay with Ko. He was happy with Ko. He felt loved and interesting. The exact opposite of what he felt with his parents. 

Hinata let out a sigh. “I have to go. I wish I could stay out here with you, but my parents need me. I’ll be here to feed you at the regular time,” Hinata smiled. Ko barked in agreement. 

_________________________

Hinata was lying in bed, thinking about everything. His parents wanted to leave tomorrow. They obviously had no respect for his opinion if they planned it to happen so early. He was dreading the trip. 

Ko flashed into his mind. 

“The trip… Ah, fuck.”

Hinata scrambled for his phone and quickly began typing into it. 

_Hajime: Nanami you awake?_

_Gaymer: Yeah. Why?_

Hinata sighed in relief at the quick response. 

_Hajime: My parents and I are going on another trip tomorrow_

_Gaymer: That sucks. Wish I could help_

_Hajime: You can_

_Gaymer: ??????_

_Hajime: Someone needs to feed Ko while I’m gone. You can stay at my house. I know you like it more than your apartment_

_Gaymer: U didn’t need 2 add that 2nd part but I’ll take the offer. I’d love to meet Ko_

Hinata smiled. Nanami really was a good friend. 

_Gaymer: Can I have Sonia over?_

_Hajime: Sure. Just… Don’t do anything in my bed_

_Gaymer: The next time I see u I’m gonna slap u_

_Hajime: Looking forward to it. I’ll leave my keys under the front mat so you can get in._

_Gaymer: Got it_

Well, that was one crisis averted. Hinata sighed. He would really miss Ko while he was gone. Seeing Ko had turned into his favorite part of the day. 

_I wonder if he’ll miss me?_

Hinata shook his head. Ko was a fox. He wouldn’t miss him. 

Hinata pulled the blankets over himself and closed his eyes. He wished Ko was sleeping on his chest again. 

_________________

Hinata collapsed on the hotel bed. He wanted to die. They had arrived at their destination, but Hinata was not excited. The awkward atmosphere between him and his parents never left. 

Hinata checked the time. It was about time he fed Ko. He quickly opened his messages. 

_Hajime: Did you feed Ko?_

_Gaymer: Yeah. Does he rlly eat from ur hand?_

_Hajime: Uh yeah. Why_

_Gaymer: he refused 2 eat until I went inside_

Hinata’s eyebrows furrowed. This was different from Ko’s usual behavior. Ko was incredibly social and friendly. It was odd that he didn’t let Nanami get near him. 

_Hajime: That’s weird. He isn’t usually like that_

_Gaymer: maybe he only likes u_

_Hajime: No. He’s probably just feeling shy since it’s his first time meeting you_

_Gaymer: I don’t think so. He didn’t even want 2 get close 2 me_

“Hajime! It’s time we get going,” Hinata’s father called. Hinata let out a huge sigh. He was worried about Ko. 

He reluctantly got up and followed his parents out of the hotel room. He wanted to be back home with Ko. 

_________________

Everywhere his parents took him bored Hinata to death. They were going to the places they liked and not the places they thought he would like. 

The chilly night air reminded him of Ko. He wrapped his arms around himself. He wished he could run his hands through the fox’s white fur. 

A buzz in his pocket snapped Hinata out of his thoughts. He pulled out his phone and checked. 

_Gaymer: Ko is screaming in the front yard._

A stab of panic ran through Hinata. The only sounds he had heard from Ko were happy ones and he had never seen Ko in his front yard. 

_Hajime: Is he okay? Is he hurt?_

_Gaymer: No. not that I can see. He’s just yelling_

_Gaymer: Maybe he’s missing u_

_Hajime: Yeah right. He might want to be inside. Try opening the door for him_

Hinata tapped his foot impatiently. Ko really was acting strange. It made him incredibly worried. 

_Gaymer: He didn’t want inside_

_Hajime: What did he do?_

_Gaymer: He yelled at me_

_Gaymer: He screamed at me for 30 seconds and then ran away_

_Gaymer: At least I know he wasn’t hurt. He ran fine and seemed ok_

_Gaymer: I just think he’s missing u. Prolly thinks I did something 2 u_

Hinata rubbed the back of his neck. Did Ko really miss him? He was just a fox. Why should Ko care about him specifically if he’s still getting fed? 

Hinata felt a warmth flow through his body. Ko may actually miss him. Ko might actually want him and not anyone else. 

He wanted to be home more than ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NUI DRINK NUI DRINK  
> 


	5. Chapter 5

It was already dark by the time the car pulled into the driveway. Hinata didn't want to waste time and immediately got out and ran for the backyard. 

“Ko!” He honestly didn’t expect much. The little fox was probably sleeping right now. 

The sound of twigs snapping and tree branches being pushed was the only warning he had. Ko came barreling out of the woods, running faster than Hinata had ever seen him. As soon as he was in range, Ko leaped up. Hinata scrambled to securely grab the fox in his arms. 

Ko immediately began licking Hinata’s face, making excited noises as he did so. Hinata giggled at the feeling and began kissing the little fox on the head. 

“Did you miss me?” Ko’s excited squeal was all the answer he needed. Hinata felt warmth spread throughout his whole body. He missed Ko so much and knowing that Ko missed him too brought him so much joy. 

Hinata bent down to place Ko on the ground, but the little fox squealed in protest and held onto his shirt. Hinata laughed at Ko’s antics and held him close. 

“Nanami said you were a little troublemaker when I was away,” Hinata said. Ko tilted his head, the very picture of innocence. Hinata couldn’t help but laugh and bury his face in Ko’s fur. 

“I missed you a lot. You’re my favorite part of the day. He felt weird when I didn’t get to feed you every day,” Hinata looked right into Ko’s gray eyes as he spoke. Ko immediately began purring, his tail wagging and hitting Hinata. 

Hinata heard his mom call for him. He couldn’t help the sigh that escaped him. 

“Gotta go get unpacked. Sorry, Ko. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Hinata felt crestfallen as he placed the little fox on the ground. He wanted to stay out here with him. 

Hinata trudged into the warmth of the house and headed directly for his room, ignoring whatever his mom was asking him. Nanami did a good job of making it look like no one was staying over. He needed to thank her later. 

As Hinata was putting his clothes away, he heard a strange sound. He stopped unpacking and listened closely. It sounded like tapping and was coming from his window. Every horror movie scenario ran through his head at once. 

Hinata carefully stepped toward the window and quickly pulled the curtain back. Hinata’s eyes widened. Ko was standing on his back legs and tapping at his window. When Ko saw Hinata, his mouth opened in a happy squeal. Hinata opened the window and Ko jumped right into his room and on his desk. 

“How did you know I was here? I’ve never taken you to my room,” Hinata asked. Ko didn’t seem to care about the question as he stood on his back legs to legs to lick at Hinata’s face again. 

The cold wind coming from the window made Hinata rush to close it. Ko didn’t seem to mind in the slightest as he looked around the room. His fluffy tail was wagging and he refused to get too far away from Hinata. All of Hinata’s questions vanished from his mind. Ko was just too cute. 

“Okay. You can stay here for now, but you need to be quiet. We’ll both be in trouble if my parents hear you,” Hinata told him. Ko’s ears pricked and he silently opened his mouth. 

“Good boy. You’re so smart. Maybe you’re a human stuck in a fox’s body,” Hinata joked. Ko’s ears swiveled and he could tell that the fox was trying not to giggle. 

Hinata resumed his unpacking, but with a smile on his face and a fox watching him intently. He whispered to Ko about how he hated the trip and was glad to be home. Every time Hinata spoke, Ko’s tail would wag. 

It was only after he finished unpacking that Hinata realized something. 

“... Please don’t hate me for this,” he whispered as he scooped up the fox. Ko smelled like nature and he knew his parents would comment on it if his bed ended up smelling like that. 

He took Ko into his bathroom and shut and locked the door. As soon as he was placed in the tub, Ko seemed to figure out what was going on. He immediately began trying to scramble out. 

“Please behave! I’m not gonna hurt you,” Hinata begged. Hinata turned on the water and that only seemed to make the fox panic more. Ko was desperately trying to get out of the tub, but Hinata held him still. 

“You’re staying in here tonight! You can sleep on my bed if you’re good,” Hinata said. Ko’s struggling stopped. Hinata was surprised. He didn’t expect that to work. 

Ko still seemed displeased as Hinata sprayed him with water. He could hear subtle growling coming from the fox. Hinata couldn’t help but smile. Even when he was angry, Ko still managed to look cute. 

Hinata rolled his sleeves up and reached for the shampoo. Ko allowed Hinata to rub the shampoo into his fur, but he didn’t let Hinata go unscathed. Any opportunity he got, Ko would angrily nip Hinata. 

“Such a ferocious beast. Thank you for not drawing blood,” Hinata grinned at the fox. Ko looked so much smaller with his fur sticking to his body. 

Hinata made sure to be gentle and keep the shampoo away from Ko’s eyes and mouth. Ko shivered as Hinata rinsed the shampoo out of his fur. 

“All done. Let’s get you dried,” Hinata said as he clapped his hands. His eyes landed on the hairdryer, but he didn’t want to scare Ko. He, instead, grabbed his softest towel and bundled Ko up in it. He scooped up the fox bundle and took him back into his room. 

“Now we’ll have no problem,” Hinata sighed as he sat on his bed, still holding the fox. He held Ko like you would a baby and pulled him close to his chest. The growling soon turned into the soft purrs that Hinata had grown used to. 

“Does that mean you forgive me?” Hinata asked playfully. Ko pushed his face closer to Hinata in response. Hinata rocked the precious bundle in his arms and smiled as Ko fully calmed down. 

“Do you want to nibble?” Hinata asked as he put his fingers in front of Ko’s face. Ko immediately took two into his mouth and began to slightly nibble on them. 

Hinata had never felt more satisfied than he did at this moment. He felt so happy and complete. 

“You’re so special, Ko. I love you so much,” Hinata said. Ko’s eyes sparkled as he spoke and his tail wagged inside the towel. Hinata used his other hand to poke Komaeda’s nose. 

“Nanami told me to boop your nose for her. There it is,” Hinata explained. Ko tilted his head but didn’t seem to mind. 

Hinata didn’t know how long he sat there, rocking the little fox in his arms. He felt exhaustion taking over him and let out a big yawn. 

“I think it’s time for bed. You can sleep next to me,” Hinata whispered to Ko. He placed Ko on the bed and took the towel off him. His fur was ruffled from the towel, but he didn’t seem to mind. 

Hinata quickly changed into his sleep clothes and got under the blanket. As soon as Hinata was settled and turned the light off, Ko laid down on his chest. Hinata could feel Ko’s purr. 

“You can sleep there. Your purr is calming,” Hinata whispered as his eyes began to close. He felt Ko place his head on between his paws on Hinata’s chest. 

Hinata fell asleep with a big smile on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MESHI SAYS HAPPY HALLOWEEN  
> 


	6. Chapter 6

The blaring sound of his alarm made Hinata groan. He almost panicked when he heard another groan on his chest. He quickly reached for his alarm to shut it off and looked down. 

Ko’s eyes were slightly open as if he wanted to go back to sleep. Hinata chuckled as he pets the fox’s head. 

“Good morning Ko,” Hinata smiled as he spoke. Ko huffed and Hinata laughed. 

“It’s morning. You can stay in bed for a bit while I get ready, but then it’s time to get up,” Hinata ran his hands through Ko’s fur. 

Ko squealed in protest when Hinata picked him up to set him on the bed. His eyes were drooping. Hinata wondered if he didn’t sleep well last night. 

As Hinata walked towards his closet, he stopped. Something about his room seemed… Off. There were multiple little things on Hinata’s desk and he swore that they were in different places on his desk the night before. It was as if someone looked at them and put them back down in different places. 

Hinata shook his head. There was no way anyone had been in his room. He always kept his door locked, so there’s no way his parents got in. Maybe he was just remembering wrong. 

Trying to put it out of his head, Hinata opened up his closet. He reached for his favorite shirt, only to stop again. There was something on his shirt. He looked closely and found… White hair? He jokingly looked towards the fox on his bed. 

“Did you get in my clothes?” Ko’s giggles began as he showed his belly. Hinata laughed at the little fox’s antics. He knew that the hair wasn’t Ko’s anyways. It was human hair and he didn’t remember being near anyone with white hair. 

Hinata shrugged. There was no point in worrying about it. He changed into his day clothes and walked back to Ko. 

“My parents are at work and I have nothing to do today. How about we spend the day together?” Hinata tilted his head. Ko’s eyes widened and he squealed in excitement. Hinata happily scooped the fox into his arms. 

“I’m gonna put you outside while I make you and me some food and then you can come back in,” Hinata talked as he walked. Ko barked as if he was telling Hinata he understood. 

After letting Ko outside, Hinata took out his phone. He thought about Nanami and how she wanted to pet Ko. 

_Maybe if I’m here, he’ll let her pet him._

Hinata quickly typed out a text and Nanami immediately responded saying she’d be there. Hinata laughed at her enthusiasm. 

Making food didn’t take long. He looked to the back door and found Ko already waiting. Hinata smiled as he opened the door to let Ko back in. He placed the plate with fruit and some meat on the ground. Ko squealed in excitement as he began to eat. 

Hinata watched the little fox as he ate his own food. He felt so calm with Ko. It was as if all his worries went away. He didn’t need to worry about school or his family if he was with the fox. 

When they were both done with their food, Hinata scooped Ko up and sat down on the couch. Ko made himself comfortable in Hinata’s lap. Hinata hummed in thought. He needed to waste some time while he waited for Nanami to arrive. 

“Do you want to hear about how shitty that trip was?” Hinata asked the little fox. Ko looked up at him expectantly, his eyes shining. Hinata smiled as he ran his fingers through Ko’s soft fur. 

“Well, I’ve never had a good relationship with my parents…”

____________________

“So I confessed that I had a crush on Nanami on a Saturday and she rejected me so I was really worried that we wouldn’t be friends anymore, but then she told me it’s because she’s a lesbian and I felt so fucking stupid.”

Hinata had kept talking long after he stopped complaining about the trip. He told Ko embarrassing stories, secrets he hadn’t told anyone, and his mental health struggles. The entire time he talked, Ko kept looking at him. When he was talking about a rough time in his life, Ko even rubbed his face against Hinata’s chest as if trying to comfort him. 

Just as he was done telling the story about his failed love confession to her, Nanami opened the door. Her face was blank as usual, but her eyes were bright when she saw Ko. 

“... Hey hey,” Nanami called a greeting and walked to the couch. Hinata felt Ko tense in his lap. Nanami sat down on the couch a bit away from them. 

“How was the trip?”

“Terrible.”

“I figured.” Nanami’s eyes were on the fox on Hinata’s lap. Nanami carefully reached her hand out, only for Ko to growl. Hinata looked at him in surprise. Ko was always so gentle and loving. Hinata had never seen him act aggressively. Nanami pouted. 

“Well, it was worth a shot,” Nanami patted Hinata’s shoulder. Nanami yelped as Ko shot out of Hinata’s lap and screeched at her. He looked like he was making a barrier between Hinata and Nanami. Hinata’s eyes were wide. 

“I’ve… Never seen him react like that,” Hinata whispered. Nanami pouted. 

“You’re a pretty possessive boyfriend, huh?” Nanami asked Ko. Hinata laughed at the joke as Ko got back into his lap. Ko’s eyes were glued on Nanami as if he were making sure she didn’t make any moves. 

“I told him about my love confession for you,” Hinata mentioned. Nanami laughed and nodded. 

“I guess that explains it. He thinks I’m a danger to his boyfriend,” Nanami jokes. Hinata laughed as he ran his hands through Ko’s fur. 

“He did sleep in my bed last night, so maybe this is the start of an amazing relationship,” Hinata chuckled. Ko turned his eyes to Hinata when he said that. 

Nanami and Hinata chatted about anything that came to mind. Ko seemed to be paying attention to the conversation and growled if Nanami made any moves to touch Hinata or him. Hinata was still surprised by the fox’s antics. He thought Nanami was exaggerating when she told him how Ko was acting during the trip. 

When Nanami left to go to work, Hinata looked at the fox. 

“You’re a little troublemaker. Not a fan of Nanami huh?” Ko huffed at the mention of her name and Hinata laughed. He rolled Ko on to his back so he could pet the fox’s belly. 

“Or do you just want all my love and attention to yourself? Are you jealous that anyone other than you gets my attention?” Hinata asked. Ko’s giggles gave him his answer. 

“You’ve made my life a lot better so I’ll give you a pass. You know, I’ve always wanted a pet. My parents didn’t let me have one. Maybe now that I’m older they’ll let me get a dog,” Hinata rambled. He yelped when Ko nipped him angrily. Hinata laughed heartily. 

“Yeah, you wouldn’t like that, huh?” Hinata pet the little fox’s face. Ko’s purr resounded throughout the room. 

“It’s okay. I like you more anyways.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meshi met his counterpart!


	7. Chapter 7

“Ko, I have to head to class! You gotta be put outside.”

Ever since Ko proved he would behave, Hinata let him inside more and more often. Ko made Hinata’s house feel like a home. 

Hinata’s call didn’t get answered and he sighed as he wandered into his bedroom. He held in his chuckle as he saw the lump under his blanket. Ko was staying incredibly still as if Hinata couldn’t see him. 

“Where’s Ko? Where did he go?” Hinata played along. Ko immediately began to giggle and Hinata could see his tail wagging. Hinata threw the blanket off, making Ko squeal in excitement and show his belly. 

“Found you!” Hinata scooped up the fox in his arms. Ko squealed happily as Hinata kissed his nose. 

“Hiding? You know I have to go to class,” Hinata smiled even as he tried to be stern. Ko huffed and buried his face into Hinata’s chest. 

“Come on. Let’s get going,” Hinata said as he placed the fox on the floor. Grabbing his bag, he was happy seeing Ko waiting for him. As Hinata approached, Ko got up and walked right beside him. 

As Hinata shut the front door, a thought suddenly occurred to him. He quickly rummaged through his bag and pulled out his book. 

“Look, Ko,” Hinata smiled as he opened the page that had the four-leafed clover. Ko’s eyes widened and he approached to sniff the clover as if confirming it was his. After sniffing it, Ko began hopping around and squealing happily. Hinata laughed as he pets the fox. 

“I love you, Ko. Thanks for giving me some good luck,” Hinata spoke as he finished petting Ko. As Hinata began to walk away, he could see the fox debating with himself on whether or not to follow. Hinata stopped and smiled at him. 

“Don’t worry. I’ll come home. Always.”

____________________

“So, are you going to tell me what happened to you?”

Hinata looked up from his book in confusion. Maki Harukawa sat across from him, playing idly with one of her knives. It used to be scary when they were younger, but Hinata had grown used to it. 

“What do you mean?” Hinata asked as he closed the book. 

“Your attitude has changed. You’re smiling a lot more and you seem eager to go home. That’s different from the Hinata I grew up with. Also, what the fuck happened to your hand?” Harukawa placed the knife on the table. 

Hinata looked at the hand in question and couldn’t hold in his chuckle. She was referring to the marks Ko had left when he nibbled his fingers. Ko was always cautious and never broke the skin, but that didn’t stop little marks from appearing. 

“I made a new friend,” Hinata spoke simply. Harukawa sighed and pointed her knife at him. 

“You know better than to leave me hanging,” Hinata smirked as she spoke. He knew Harukawa would never actually hurt him. 

“There’s this fox that’s been living near my house. He’s gotten attached to me. He likes to nibble on my fingers, so that’s why my hand looks fucked up,” Hinata explained briefly. 

“A fox? Is it really okay for you to let a wild animal bite you?” Harukawa’s narrowed her eyes. 

“He isn’t just a wild animal. He never hurts me,” Hinata glared at her. Harukawa’s eyes widened slightly before returning to their usual uninterested stare. 

“Seems this fox has made a pretty deep impact on you,” Harukawa said. Hinata nodded and happily reached into his bag to pull out the book with the clover. 

He excitedly explained to Harukawa about how Ko brought it for him. Harukawa’s eyes remained interested as Hinata told the story. 

“That’s a bit odd. How would he know to bring a four-leafed one instead of a normal one?” Harukawa bit her thumb. Hinata shrugged. 

“Dunno. He seems smarter than most animals,” Hinata tilted his head. Harukawa’s eyes narrowed. 

“Smarter, huh?” Harukawa’s voice sounded dangerous. Hinata felt a shiver go up his spine. 

“Why’re you making such a scary face?” Hinata asked. Harukawa shook her head and took up her knife again. 

“It’s nothing. You should introduce me to your friend some time,” Harukawa returned to her normal mood. 

“Sure, but he didn’t really get along with Nanami. She thinks he only likes me.” Harukawa nodded, her eyes distant. 

“Just… Be careful around him.” Hinata was confused. Why should he be careful around Ko? He shook his head. Harukawa must be thinking about something else that put her on edge. 

Yeah, that had to be it. 

____________________

Hinata was worried. 

He was sitting in the backyard, waiting for Ko. It wasn’t time to feed him, but Ko had a habit of greeting Hinata as soon as he got home. This time, there was no sign of the fox. 

Hinata fiddled with one of his sleeves. He couldn’t stop the nervous energy pulsing through him. What if Ko got hurt? He did seem rather weak. The more he thought the more nervous he got. 

His head jerked up as he heard a sound. He immediately sprinted when he saw who it was. 

Ko was limping, an injury on his shoulder. Blood was dripping from a cut, staining his white fur. When he saw Hinata, he tried walking faster only to collapse into the snow.

Hinata’s hands were shaking as he scooped up the fox. Ko was wailing pitifully. Panic gripped Hinata’s heart like a vice. Without thinking, he ran inside his house with Ko in his arms. 

He set the fox on his bed and began to shake as he saw that Ko had his eyes closed. He sighed in relief when he saw the gentle rise and fall of his chest. The injury didn’t look too deep, so he must have been exhausted. 

Hinata sprinted into his parents’ bathroom and rummaged through one of the cabinets until he found the first aid kit. He knew how to treat a person, but he had no idea how to treat a fox. He could call Tanaka. Yeah. When he got back to his room he would call Tanaka. 

He sprinted back to his room, first aid kit in hand only to skid to a stop in the doorway. His brain felt like it slowed to a stop as he stared. 

This… Doesn’t make sense. 

He was expecting to see a white fox on his bed. Instead, there was a boy. Thick white hair framed his face and he wore a green kimono with what looked like clover patterns on it. That wasn’t the most startling. The boy had white fox ears and a fluffy tail. 

Hinata approached his bed cautiously. The boy was fast asleep. Hinata gently rolled him onto his back. He had a shoulder wound. Just like Ko. 

Hinata shook his head. He should… Focus on dealing with the injury. He could deal with everything later. 

Hinata cautiously moved the kimono out of the way. Hinata couldn’t help admiring the boy’s beauty. He shook his head. Why was he thinking like that? He wasn’t into guys! 

Hinata opened the first aid kit and examined the injury. It wasn’t deep, but he had to make sure it didn’t get infected. He grabbed the rubbing alcohol and hoped it wouldn’t wake the boy. 

As he applied the alcohol, the boy’s ears pressed against his head and he whined in pain. Hinata felt dread course through him, but the boy didn’t wake up. Hinata handled the injury carefully as he cleaned it out and wrapped it in gauze. 

He looked at his handiwork and decided it was good enough for now. The boy was still asleep, his white eyelashes fluttering against his face as he dreamed. Hinata walked as silently as he could and left his room. 

It was only when he made it to the living room that everything truly caught up with him. Ko was supposed to be in that room. Instead, there was a boy that had a striking resemblance to the fox. Not to mention the ears and tail. 

“What the fuck.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shhhh he sleeping  
> 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: FORGOT TO ADD THE FANART FEATURE!!!  
> https://www.deviantart.com/mew3aki/art/White-like-snow-fanart-861355577  
> I love this drawing so much. It’s so cute and I love little Ko in Hinata’s shirt!!! Thank you so much again for the fan art! Everyone please go support them!

Hinata was freaking the fuck out. 

He was pacing around his house and occasionally peeking into his room to check if the boy was still asleep. Every twitch of his ears or tail made Hinata have a miniature heart attack. 

Once he found out everything just seemed to click in his head. Every instance of Ko seeming smart and looking like he was listening was because he was a kitsune. 

Didn’t help the fact that Hinata had thought kitsunes weren’t real. 

Hinata’s mind was whirling. There were so many different versions of the kitsune legend that he didn’t know what was real or fake. He had a kitsune in his bedroom and he knew nothing about him. 

He heard a groan come from his room. Hinata felt a chill go down his spine. He cautiously peeked through the gap of the door. 

The kitsune was opening his eyes. The same gray eyes Hinata had grown used to. The boy lifted one of his hands and looked at it. The boy seemed to get even paler. His eyes widened in shock and… Fear?

Hinata cautiously opened the door. The kitsune’s eyes darted up. There was silence between the two of them. The silence was broken by an unstable laugh that came from the kitsune. 

“I-I suppose this is what I deserve.” His voice was breathy and Hinata felt a shiver go up his spine for a different reason. 

“You may do with me what you wish. You’ve helped me so much. Thank you for your kindness,” the boy attempted to sit up to bow for him but he winced at the pain in his shoulder. 

“What are you talking about?” Hinata asked. The kitsune looked back at him in confusion. 

“You are going to kill me right?” His voice was so nonchalant that it took a bit for the words to register in Hinata’s mind. 

“Wh-What? Why the hell would I do that?” Hinata exclaimed. He never expected this to be the first conversation he had with the kitsune. The kitsune’s ears perked. 

“You truly are too kind. Especially to trash like me. I’ve deceived you so much, haven’t I?” The boy shook his head, his white hair swaying. Hinata hadn’t thought of that. Ko betrayed him? Well, this boy is Ko. Was it betrayal? Hinata shook his head. This boy was messing him up. 

“Let me check your injury,” Hinata said as he walked toward the boy. The kitsune fidgeted on the bed. 

“You really don’t have to. Having to touch someone as disgusting as me must be awful,” the boy rambled. Hinata just shook his head. He carefully unwrapped the bandage to check the injury. The kitsune winced but stayed still. 

“So, what’s your name?” Hinata asked as he looked at the injury. It seemed to be doing alright. All he needed to do was replace the bandages. 

“I’m Ko,” the boy smiled at him as he said it. Hinata shook his head. 

“Not the name I gave you. What’s your real name?” The kitsune tilted his head at the question. 

“You are the first person to deem me worthy of a name. Oh, I was called Servant in the past though!” The boy smiled in a carefree way. Hinata looked at him in shock. 

“You… Don’t even have a name?” He shook his head. 

“You were very kind to give me a name. I don’t think I’ve ever been happier,” he said. Hinata felt his cheeks heat up at the expression on the boy’s face. 

“Hinata Hajime is the most interesting person I’ve met. You’ve given me so much. I truly don’t deserve the kindness you have shown me,” the kitsune covered Hinata’s hand with his own. Hinata tried to hide his blush. 

“So… You’re a kitsune, right?” Hinata asked. The boy nodded his head. 

“What made you get so close to my home?” 

“It’s the first time I’ve lived in the wild. I don’t know how to hunt or anything. I used to live with a lot of different kitsune but that is no longer my home. I actually got attacked by a wild fox. How ironic.” Hinata couldn’t understand this boy. He treated getting hurt so lightly. Yet he found himself attracted to the boy in all his strangeness. 

“I suppose… This is the end. Isn’t it,” the boy’s voice took on a sad note. Hinata looked at him questioningly. 

“After seeing how hideous my true form is you must want nothing to do with me. I will leave as soon as possible,” the boy said as Hinata finished bandaging his shoulder. Pain gripped Hinata’s heart. The thought of losing Ko hurt more than he thought it would. 

“I-It doesn’t have to. Things will be different with you like… This but it doesn’t mean I like you any less.” Hinata was telling the truth. Just because Ko turned out to be a kitsune didn’t change how much Ko had changed his life. The boy tilted his head. 

“You… Are rather odd. I’ve never heard of a human like you,” the kitsune got closer and Hinata backed away slightly. The boy seemed to have trouble understanding personal space. 

“I’m pretty normal. You’re the weird one here. I didn’t even know kitsunes existed,” Hinata sighed. The boy smiled at him and his tail began to wag. 

“Remarkable,” the boy whispered. Hinata looked at him. The more he looked at the kitsune the more he saw Ko in him. The thought of losing him hurt. 

The times they spent together were real. They were real and affectionate. All this means is that Ko could express his feelings to Hinata directly. He felt a stirring in his heart at the thought of Ko being able to talk back to him. Maybe this isn’t so bad. 

“W-Well… I guess I gotta give you a new name,” Hinata scratched the back of his head. 

“Why do I need a new name?” The boy asked with a tilt of his head. 

“I can't just keep calling you child. That’s just weird,” Hinata grumbled as he wracked his brain. The kitsune waited patiently with an excited smile on his face. 

“Komaeda. I guess that’ll be your family name,” Hinata hummed. 

“Family name?” The boy’s eyes showed interest. 

“Yeah. You have a given name and a family name. You introduce yourself by saying your family name first and your given name last,” Hinata explained to the kitsune. 

“I see! Then I gladly accept the family name Komaeda, Hajime-Kun!” The boy smiled happily. 

“Y-Y-You can’t just say my given name so casually!” Hinata sputtered. 

“Why not?”

“It’s… Intimate. You refer to people by their family name,” Hinata tried to keep the blush from his cheeks. Komaeda’s ears twitched and he seemed to be deep in thought, processing what Hinata said. 

“F-For your given name, how about Nagito?” Hinata asked. Komaeda Nagito. It sounded like a good name. 

“I am honored to accept them!” Komaeda exclaimed as he grabbed Hinata’s hands. There goes keeping the blush under control. This boy was just too pretty. 

“Y-You don’t know much about humanity, huh?” Hinata observed. Komaeda nodded. 

“I’ve never been in contact with humans before meeting you. All I’ve heard are stories,” Komaeda said. 

“I… Guess I can teach you,” Hinata mumbled. Komaeda’s eyes widened and seemed to sparkle. 

“Really?” Once again, Komaeda got right in his face. Hinata nodded and watched the kitsune’s tail start wagging hard. This definitely was Ko. There was no doubt about it. 

Hinata looked out the window, trying to look anywhere except at Komaeda. His eyes widened. He didn’t realize it was dark already. Komaeda followed his gaze and his tail stopped wagging. 

“Ah. I suppose I should leave,” Komaeda stood up, his tail puffed up. A thought came to Hinata. 

“Wait. Where do you sleep at night?” Hinata asked. 

“In the woods!” Komaeda smiled politely. 

“D-Do you have a den?” Komaeda shook his head at the question. 

“I don’t know how to build one. So I just sleep outside.” Hinata grimaced. He imagined Komaeda sleeping out in the cold. No shelter and nothing to keep him warm. 

“Y-You can stay here,” Hinata spoke without thinking. Komaeda looked at him in shock. 

“I-If you want to that is,” Hinata muttered. An awkward silence enveloped the room and Hinata was definitely regretting speaking his mind. 

He was startled when he felt soft lips against his forehead. Hinata yelped and sprang away from the kitsune. 

“D-Did you just kiss me?” Hinata exclaimed. 

“Well, yes! It’s my thank you for letting me stay. You always kissed me on the head when you were happy,” Komaeda’s tail wagged. Hinata felt his face pale. He had done so many affectionate things to Ko and Komaeda thought it was normal between them. 

Komaeda will be staying with him and all he knows is what Hinata has done to him. 

_What have I gotten myself into?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meshi made a friend that's even smaller than him!  
> 


	9. Chapter 9

Things didn’t go smoothly. 

“So… Can you hide your ears and tail?” Hinata awkwardly spoke. Komaeda was sitting on his bed, his tail on his lap as he flipped through one of Hinata’s books. 

“Yes but only for a short while. I am only a weak one-tailed kitsune after all,” Komaeda smiled. 

“So there are nine-tailed kitsune?” Hinata asked. The only things Hinata knew about Komaeda’s species were from folklore and there was no guarantee that those stories were real. 

Komaeda tilted his head. “You don’t know? I thought humans hunted us,” Komaeda said. Hinata shook his head. 

“So that’s why you said I could kill you… Well, no. Most of us just think your kind isn’t real,” Hinata shrugged. Komaeda hummed as his fluffy ears twitched.

“Yes, there are nine-tailed kitsune. They are the strongest of our kind. The longer you live the more tails you gain and power,” Komaeda said. “Apparently memory is part of it as well. If a kitsune loses their memory they will lose their tails as well. At least that’s what I’ve heard before I was caught.”

“Caught? What do you mean by that?”

“It is nothing Hinata-Kun. You shouldn’t worry. To go back to your original question, I can hide my ears and tail but only for around an hour a day,” Komaeda said. 

Hinata sighed. That didn’t make things easier. He thought he could just bring Komaeda to school with him, but that wouldn’t be possible. He couldn’t have Komaeda wandering the house either because his parents were home on some days he had classes. 

“I guess you’ll just have to hide under my bed while I’m at school,” Hinata said. 

“School? So that is where you go! So you go to learn right?” Komaeda’s tail wagged and his eyes seemed to sparkle. 

“Uh, yeah. How do you know what schools are?” 

“Some of the older kitsunes at the shrine would go into human territory. I’ve heard some stories from them,” Komaeda explained. Hinata was curious about where Komaeda came from, but he could feel exhaustion creeping over him. 

“Wait, hide under the bed? Why would I have to do that?” Komaeda tilted his head. 

“My parents can’t see you. They would get suspicious if they tried to enter when I am gone and my door is locked. So you’ll just have to hide,” Hinata explained. Komaeda grabbed his tail and hugged it close to his chest. He seemed disappointed. 

“You probably need to take a bath. Your kimono has blood on it and it’s best for you to wash your injury,” Hinata said. Komaeda looked at his shoulder. His green kimono was soaked with red around his injury. 

“I suppose so. But I don’t have any clothes,” Komaeda said. Hinata cursed. He hadn’t thought of that. 

“I don’t mind if you just want to see me naked Hinata-Kun.”

“That’s not it!” Hinata exclaimed. He let out another sigh. 

“You can just wear some of my clothes. They might be a bit big on you though,” Hinata said as he started rummaging through his drawers. He picked up clothes at random and put them into Komaeda’s arms. 

“Alright!” Komaeda smiled at Hinata and began to trot to the bathroom. Hinata tilted his head. 

“Are you really my Ko? Last time you threw a fit when I put you in the bath,” Hinata said. Komaeda pouted. 

“It takes forever for my fur to dry when I’m in feral form. If you had set me outside I would’ve frozen to death,” Komaeda explained. Hinata nodded. That explained why Ko had calmed down when he told him he could stay the night. 

“Well?” Komaeda stood at the entrance to the bathroom, looking at Hinata. 

“Huh?”

“Aren’t you going to bathe me?” Hinata was silent as the words sunk in. 

“Wh-What?! Why would I bathe you?” Hinata exclaimed. He could feel his face begin to heat up. Komaeda didn’t seem bothered by the idea. 

“You’ve bathed me before.”

“Y-Yeah but you were just a fox then! There’s no way I can bathe you when you’re in human form!” Hinata said. Komaeda’s ears pressed against his head and his tail drooped. 

“I see. Seeing my body must be truly disgusting. I will bathe myself then!” Before Hinata could respond to the comment about his body, Komaeda shut the door with a smile. 

Hinata sighed. He could feel a headache coming on. He decided to just change into his sleep clothes while Komaeda was in the bath. 

He collapsed on his bed with a huff after he changed. He looked at his bed and realized. Shit. Where the hell was Komaeda going to sleep? There was no way he could sleep on the couch or else his parents may see him. He felt bad at the idea of making the boy sleep on the floor. 

He sighed. Komaeda would just have to sleep in bed with him. Komaeda could just turn into a fox and sleep like usual. Yeah, that’s fine. Not awkward at all. 

Hinata heard a squeal of pain came from the bathroom. Panic shot through Hinata as he quickly ran into the bathroom without thinking. Komaeda was in the bath, whining in pain as he rubbed at his eyes. Hinata was grateful that the soap in the water covered Komaeda. 

“What happened?” Hinata asked. 

“I washed my hair. It got in my eyes,” Komaeda squealed in discomfort. Hinata sighed. He grabbed a washcloth and covered it in cold water from the sink. Komaeda gasped in surprise as Hinata pressed the cloth to one of his closed eyes. 

“This will help get the soap out. Just relax,” Hinata grunted. 

“Sorry, Hinata-Kun,” Komaeda whimpered. Hinata felt his face flush as he tried to keep his eyes on Komaeda’s face and not wander down. He couldn’t help but find the kitsune’s behavior to be kind of cute. 

Hinata shook his head. He shouldn’t be thinking like that. It was weird. Komaeda was weird. His feelings were weird. This entire situation was fucking weird. 

Hinata carefully got all the soap out of Komaeda’s eyes. The kitsune sighed in relief and he gave Hinata a big smile. Hinata felt his face flush. 

“Y-You still have shampoo in your hair. Just… Let me…” Hinata trailed off as he cupped water into one of his hands and covered Komaeda’s eyes with the other. Komaeda sighed in relief as Hinata gently washed his hair while keeping the soap away from his eyes. 

“Th-There. All done,” Hinata said awkwardly. 

“Thank you so much Hinata-Kun! You truly are kind,” Komaeda gave him a genuine smile as he spoke. Hinata was about to smile back when Komaeda started to stand up. 

“W-Wait! L-Let me leave first!” Hinata exclaimed as he hurriedly covered his eyes. 

“I-I’ll cover your injury when you’re dressed,” Hinata said as he practically sprinted out of the bathroom. He panted as he slammed the door behind him. 

His face felt extremely hot. He slapped his cheeks. What was wrong with him? This wasn’t like him. Komaeda was pretty, but he was weird. Yeah. He just needed to stop thinking about Komaeda’s looks. 

Or else everything would be extremely awkward. 

“Hello, Hinata-Kun,” Komaeda’s cheerful voice didn’t seem to notice the internal struggle Hinata was going through. Hinata turned towards him and desperately tried to look him in the eyes. 

“Why are you shirtless?”

“Well, you need to take care of my injury right? I thought it would be easier for you if I didn’t dirty your clothes. Well anymore then they will already be dirtied since they are on my disgusting body,” Komaeda’s damp tail wagged. 

Hinata sighed and beckoned Komaeda closer as he grabbed the first aid kit. Hinata examined the injury and sighed in relief when he saw no signs of infection. He carefully wrapped the wound in gauze. Komaeda had a strange expression on his face as he watched Hinata work. A soft smile. 

“I truly am lucky,” Komaeda whispered so low that Hinata almost didn’t catch it. He decided to just ignore it. 

“Okay. You’re good. Now… Put your shirt on,” Hinata looked away. He heard rustling and when he turned back he saw Komaeda with his shirt on. 

It was only then that Hinata realized just how baggy his clothes were on the kitsune. The shirt rode low, exposing his collarbones and almost hanging off his shoulders. 

_I need to get him some clothes._

“I’ll put your kimono in the washer in the morning. For now, we should sleep,” Hinata sighed. 

“Washer?” Hinata held up his hand at the question. He was not going to explain anything else tonight.

“You can sleep on the bed with me,” Hinata gestured to the bed awkwardly. Komaeda’s ears pricked and his tail began to wag as he immediately leaped into the bed. Hinata’s mouth hung open as Komaeda got under the blanket and squealed in excitement at the feeling. In his human form. 

Great. 

Hinata didn’t have the heart to ask him to change into his fox form. With a final sigh, Hinata turned off the light and climbed into bed. He laid on his back and stared at the ceiling. 

His mind was chaotic as it went over the events of the day. He now had a kitsune living with him. A really cute and strange kitsune. 

At least his life wasn’t boring anymore. 

Hinata listened to the boy’s breathing as it evened out. He could tell Komaeda had fallen asleep. Hinata closed his eyes and tried to sleep as well. 

He almost screamed when he felt a body press against him. His eyes shot open and he looked to his side. Komaeda had thrown a leg and an arm over him and was nuzzling closer. The kitsune’s breathing was still calm and even. He was sleeping. 

The kitsune let out a happy sigh as he settled his cheek on Hinata’s chest. Hinata was sure his face was bright red. He could feel the soft touch of Komaeda’s ears on his chin and his tail was wrapped around one of his legs. 

Hinata stared up at the ceiling with wide eyes. He could feel all of Komaeda against him as he slept peacefully. The kitsune was purring incredibly loud. 

Sleep was definitely far away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who ordered a fresh Nui burrito wrapped with special soft Komaeda blanket  
> 


	10. Chapter 10

Hinata spent that whole night drifting in and out of sleep. Every time he woke up he would look at his chest to check if everything was a dream. It wasn’t. 

The noise of his alarm made him sigh. Today was going to suck. Komaeda grumbled against his chest as he turned off his alarm. Hinata pushed the kitsune off of him, making Komaeda whine in protest. 

“I have to get to class,” Hinata said as he finally pried Komaeda off of him. Komaeda shook his head, making his ears perk up as he fully woke up. Hinata rummaged through his closet and took out his clothes for the day. 

“Where are you going?” Komaeda tilted his head as Hinata headed to the bathroom. 

“Getting changed,” Hinata grumbled. 

“Why are you going in there?”

“Um… Because you’re here.”

“You always used to get changed in front of me.” Those words made Hinata fully wake up as his face heated up. He had undressed in front of Ko multiple times. 

“There’s no need to be embarrassed, Hinata-Kun. You are very handsome,” Komaeda’s tail swished happily as he spoke. 

Hinata slammed the door to the bathroom. 

_________________

Hinata took longer to get changed as he took time to gather his thoughts. This was his life now. He invited Komaeda to live with him and this is the natural result. He would just have to deal with it. 

He sighed as he exited the bathroom. Komaeda was still on his bed, but he was nervously fiddling with his tail. Hinata was surprised when he saw the kitsune bite it. 

“What’re you doing?” Hinata asked. Komaeda’s eyes turned to him and he dropped his tail. 

“I like to suck and bite on things. It calms me down,” the kitsune explained as he hopped off the bed. Hinata nodded. That explained why Ko would always suck and nibble on his fingers. Komaeda seemed relieved to see Hinata. Hinata guessed that Komaeda thought he did something wrong. He made sure to keep his posture relaxed so Komaeda wouldn’t feel like he was angry. 

“Are you hungry?” Hinata asked. Komaeda immediately perked up and nodded enthusiastically. Hinata made his way to the kitchen with Komaeda happily trotting behind him. 

Hinata started making some miso soup. He knew they had rice and fish to go along with it. Hinata usually didn’t eat breakfast and instead headed straight to school with a cup of coffee. 

Komaeda’s eyes sparkled as he watched Hinata cook. He made sure he was never in the way but watched all of Hinata’s movements in fascination. Hinata felt himself smile. Ko always was a curious fox. 

When he was finished making their breakfast Hinata set everything on the table. Komaeda looked at Hinata in confusion as he sat down. Hinata motioned to another chair. Komaeda seemed hesitant but sat down. 

“Um… Am I not supposed to eat on the floor?” Komaeda asked. Hinata looked at him incredulously. 

“No. Why the hell would you eat on the floor,” Hinata asked as he began to eat. 

“Well, that’s what I did as a fox. I… I’ve never eaten at a table before,” Komaeda explained as he hesitantly reached for the miso soup. Hinata couldn’t help being curious. Komaeda was definitely a mysterious individual. 

As soon as Komaeda ate a bit of the miso soup his eyes lit up once again. Hinata watched in amusement as Komaeda ate more. He knew the miso soup was pretty basic but Komaeda was eating it like it was the best thing he tasted. 

When they were both done, Hinata placed all the dishes in the sink, planning on doing them when he got home. He put Komaeda’s kimono in the washer while he was at it. The whole time Komaeda followed him like a lost puppy. 

“Alright. I’m not going to tell you to stay under the bed the whole day, but you need to be careful. If my parents see you, we are both done for,” Hinata said. Komaeda nodded and Hinata watched as he shifted into his fox form and scampered under the bed. 

Hinata just hoped Komaeda listened. 

____________________

“You look like shit.”

Souda’s blunt statement made Hinata snort. It was hard not to look like shit when he barely slept the night before. 

“Were you studying late?” Nanami asked. Hinata grunted in agreement as he gulped down his coffee. His mind kept wandering to Komaeda waiting at home. He wondered what the kitsune would do. 

“You seemed pretty distracted during chem. You sure you’re gonna be okay, man?” Souda asked. Hinata nodded. He knew he couldn’t miss any classes and he needed to get used to the fact that Komaeda would be at home while he was in class. 

Hinata felt Nanami’s eyes bore into him. She seemed like she had something to say, but she kept quiet. Hinata was about to ask what she wanted before she stood up. 

“Come on, Hinata-Kun. We have to get to class,” Nanami said as she tugged on his sleeve. Hinata sighed as he stood up and waved goodbye to Souda. 

He really wanted to go home. 

____________________

The cold was biting as he walked back to his house. He couldn’t help feeling grateful that Komaeda was inside now and didn’t have to spend all his time in the cold. He unlocked the door and sighed with relief when he felt the warmth of the house. He looked around and was happy to see the house just like it was when he left. 

“I’m back Komaeda!” Hinata yelled. He could hear scampering coming from his room and soon enough Komaeda came running towards him. 

“Welcome home, Hinata-Kun!” Komaeda’s tail wagged as he skidded to a stop in front of Hinata. Hinata felt his face heat up. Komaeda had really greeted him like a housewife. 

“You’re probably hungry. Come on, I’ll make you something,” Hinata said as he set his bag down. 

“You don’t have to Hinata-Kun. I’m fine!” Komaeda said. Hinata looked the kitsune up and down and shook his head. Komaeda was incredibly skinny and he knew that he couldn’t be entirely healthy when he looked like that. 

“You can tell me more about you while I make something,” Hinata said as walked into the kitchen. Komaeda fiddled with his tail. 

“I am not interesting, Hinata-Kun. You don’t expect trash to be unique do you?” Komaeda said. Hinata just sighed. 

“Stop talking like that. It’s weird. Just tell me about yourself,” Hinata huffed as he grabbed some ingredients. He decided he would just make some simple ramen. 

“I’m really lucky…” Komaeda mumbled. 

“You said that last night too. What’s up with that?” Hinata decided that if the kitsune wouldn’t start up the conversation then he would. 

“It’s my power.”

“P-Power?”

“Yes. All kitsunes have a specific ability. My ability is rather useless though,” Komaeda sighed, his ears twitching. 

“How would that be useless. Doesn’t that mean you always get your way?” Hinata asked. Komaeda shook his head. 

“Not exactly. Every good thing that happens will have a bad thing follow. I can’t wield my power on myself, so it affects my life in whatever way it wants. I can use it for others though. However, something bad will always happen to me even if I use my luck on someone else,” Komaeda explained. 

“Luck… Wait, is that why I didn’t fail that chemistry test?” Hinata asked with wide eyes. Komaeda nodded. 

“I’m so glad it worked!” Komaeda’s tail swished happily and he had a big smile on his face. 

“Wait. If something bad always happens, did something bad happen for doing that for me?” Hinata asked. Komaeda nodded. 

“I ended up slipping on some ice and twisting my paw when I left you. I’m alright though! It could have been much worse,” Komaeda smiled. Hinata couldn’t help feeling guilty. Komaeda helped him and in return got hurt. 

“You should value your life more,” Hinata mumbled. 

“Huh? Why should I? I would gladly give my life if it benefits someone else. Especially if it benefits you, Hinata-Kun,” Komaeda purred. Hinata felt a pit in his stomach at those words. Komaeda seemed to completely believe what he was saying. 

“What did you do today?” Hinata asked, desperately wanting to change the subject. 

“It was rather boring. I stayed under your bed all day just like you asked,” Komaeda said. 

“Huh? Why didn’t you read a book or something?” Hinata asked. 

“Hinata-Kun never told me to read. I do not want to taint Hinata-Kun’s possessions with my filthy touch,” Komaeda said. Hinata wanted to slap the kitsune. He didn’t know why Komaeda kept talking about himself like that and it was getting on his nerves. 

“The food is done. Let’s just… Watch a movie or something while we eat,” Hinata sighed. He didn’t want to keep talking in circles. 

“Movie?” Komaeda tilted his head. 

“Yeah. It’s what we watched when you were in fox form,” Hinata explained. Komaeda’s eyes lit up in understanding. 

“You mean the small humans living inside the box?” Komaeda asked. Hinata couldn’t help but laugh at that. 

“That’s… Not what it is. Let’s sit down. I’ll explain it to you.”

Komaeda’s excited wagging made Hinata smile. He felt… Happy. Really happy. Having an actual person to come home to instead of an empty house was nice even if said person was weird. 

Hinata looked at the kitsune as he sat down at the table. Hinata couldn’t help but find him adorable in his weird way. He shook his head to try and clear his thoughts. 

He had someone to come home to. He shouldn’t ruin it with any other feelings except friendship. Yeah. Just friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Important!!! I will not be uploading next week because I will not be at home. I’m going on a trip so I won’t be able to update any of my stories next week. However, when I am back everything will go back to its normal schedule. I hope you all have a great week!
> 
> Meshi is feeling festive!!!  
> 


	11. Chapter 11

“I can really read all of these?” Komaeda’s eyes sparkled as he looked at the bookshelf. Hinata noticed his tail wagging rapidly. 

“Yeah. I don’t mind. You probably need a light though,” Hinata hummed. He didn’t want Komaeda just laying under his bed with nothing to do all day while Hinata was gone. 

“No need! My eyesight is enough,” Komaeda said as he ran his fingers down the spines of the books. Hinata hummed. It made sense that Komaeda would keep his fox eyesight even if he was in human form. Hinata looked at the oversized clothes on Komaeda. He really needed to buy him his own clothes. 

“You’ll need to take a bath. Your kimono should be finished drying. One second I’ll get it,” Hinata said. Komaeda still seemed intrigued by the massive amount of books on the shelf. Hinata let him continue examining them as he went to the laundry room. 

He fished the kimono out of the dryer and was relieved to see the bloodstain was gone. He didn’t understand why Komaeda wore such traditional clothes but he guessed it had something to do with being a kitsune. When he entered his room again, Komaeda had picked up a book and was reading the back. 

“Here you go,” Hinata said as he held the kimono out for him. Komaeda returned the book to its place before grabbing the kimono. Komaeda sniffed at the fabric and buried his face in it. 

“Did you wear it, Hinata-Kun?” Komaeda’s voice was muffled from the fabric. 

“H-Huh?! No, I didn’t! Why would you think that?” Hinata exclaimed. Komaeda tilted his head as he buried his face deeper into the fabric. He lifted his mouth out when he seemed to be satisfied. 

“It smells like you, Hinata-Kun,” Komaeda explained. Hinata knew his face was becoming bright red. He didn’t know how Komaeda could say things like that so casually. 

“W-Well yeah. I used my detergent so of course it would,” Hinata awkwardly scratched the back of his head. He couldn’t help feeling awkward around the kitsune. Komaeda knew practically everything about him from his time as Ko and Hinata barely knew anything about the other boy. 

“I will go bathe. Thank you, Hinata-Kun,” Komaeda purred. Hinata couldn’t help noticing Komaeda rubbing his face against the fabric, as if he were appreciating it. Hinata sighed when the bathroom door closed and fell face-first into bed. 

Komaeda had come into his life like a hurricane. He still didn’t know how to act around him or what to do around him. Komaeda was bubbly and curious. Hinata found himself liking being around the boy, but that didn’t stop his problems. He always worried that he was disappointing the kitsune in some way. 

That was a problem he never had with Ko. With animals, you feed them and give them love and they love you back. There was nothing complicated about it. Humans were a whole different world. Hinata was still trying to understand which side Komaeda fell on. 

He sighed as he got up and changed into his nightclothes. That was another problem. Sleeping. Hinata had barely got any sleep the night before because of Komaeda clinging to him. He was so embarrassed and every movement from the kitsune made him wide awake again. 

Hinata looked at his bed as he wondered what he would do. His eyes landed on his closet. He was sure he had a stray pillow in there. If he put the pillow between the two of them, then that should prevent Komaeda from clinging to him. Hinata opened his closet and was happy to spot the pillow immediately. 

Just as Hinata brought the pillow down, Komaeda came out from the bathroom. Hinata tried to look away. He still hadn’t sorted out his feelings in regards to Komaeda. He found the boy to be gorgeous, but he was sure he was straight before meeting him. Just another problem he had to deal with. 

Komaeda was dressed in his kimono and Hinata took the time to appreciate it. The fabric hugged Komaeda’s body just right where it looked comfortable. Komaeda’s tail was wagging as he wrapped his arms around himself. 

“Will you be able to sleep in that?” Hinata asked. He wasn’t sure if kimonos were comfortable since he had never worn one. 

“Yes, I will. I’ve done it all my life after all,” Komaeda said. Hinata felt curiosity rear its head. Any time Komaeda mentioned his past it was always in brief segments and they always left Hinata with lots of questions. 

“What is that for, Hinata-Kun?” Komaeda pointed at the pillow Hinata was holding. 

“Oh! I had some trouble sleeping last night because you were… You know. So I thought I would put this between us so you can hold onto it,” Hinata smiled. Komaeda’s tail and ears fell. Hinata could have sworn that he saw a flash of disappointment in the kitsune’s eyes. 

“I see. Trash like me should never touch you. I apologize, Hinata-Kun,” Komaeda bowed. Hinata raised his hands. 

“No that’s not what I meant. I’m just not used to anyone sleeping like that with me,” Hinata reasoned. He was getting used to Komaeda’s self-hatred but that didn’t mean he liked it. Komaeda nodded in understanding, but his eyes seemed distant. 

Hinata was about to say more, but Komaeda crawled onto the bed and got under the covers. Hinata sighed as he approached and placed the pillow between them. After switching off the light, he crawled into bed. 

“Good night, Komaeda.”

“Sleep well, Hinata-Kun.”

Hinata closed his eyes but he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep right away. He wanted to wait until Komaeda fell asleep to see if his idea worked. He listened and felt the bed dip slightly as Komaeda moved. Hinata turned around and smiled when he saw the kitsune clutching the pillow. 

Hinata closed his eyes as he drifted off to sleep. Hinata’s last thought was how Komaeda wasn’t purring like he was the night before. 

___________________

“Hinata-Kun, can I borrow your chemistry book?” 

Hinata looked up from his calculus book to look at Nanami. She was yawning and rubbing her eyes as usual. On her left side was Sonia. Hinata could tell the two of them were holding hands under the table. 

“Yeah, let me get it,” Hinata said as he opened his bag and began to rummage through it. He looked through all his books, but couldn’t find his chemistry book. Hinata sighed as he remembered leaving it at home. 

“Sorry, Nanami. I left it at home. Can I give it to you tomorrow?” Hinata asked. 

“No, that’s fine. I can ask Souda-Kun for his,” Nanami let out a yawn. When she opened her eyes, they seemed more focused. “How’s Ko?”

Hinata froze up slightly. He forgot that his friends would be expecting him to continue talking about Ko as if he wasn’t a kitsune. 

“Oh! Is that the fox I have been hearing about?” Sonia smiled brightly. Sonia always had a soft spot towards animals and Hinata had often seen her playing with Tanaka’s hamsters. 

“Y-Yeah. He’s doing good. He likes to play with my books,” Hinata tried to come up with something. Nanami’s eyes seemed to bore into him as she kept quiet. Right as Hinata was starting to worry, Nanami let out another yawn. 

“Alright. Make sure you don’t forget to feed him,” Nanami rubbed her eye. Hinata almost sighed with relief. Nanami was his childhood friend so she knew him well. He knew she would be able to spot when something was off. 

Hinata couldn’t help feeling like she saw right through him. 

__________________

“I’m home, Komaeda.”

Hinata felt a strange sense of happiness as he called out the greeting. He never had someone to come home to until now. He heard scampering coming from his room and once again Komaeda came running to him. This time he had a book in his arms. 

“Welcome home, Hinata-Kun!” Komaeda’s tail wagged as he called out a greeting. Hinata looked closely at the book Komaeda was holding. It was his chemistry book. 

“Were you reading that?” Hinata asked as he pointed to the book. Komaeda looked at the book in question and his tail went between his legs. 

“Was I not supposed to?” He looked at Hinata with dejected eyes. Hinata rapidly shook his head to tell him it was fine. 

“No, I just didn’t expect you to pick that one. Chemistry is a hard concept to grasp is all,” Hinata said with his hands raised. Komaeda tilted his head, his gray eyes confused.

“Really? I understood everything quite well,” Komaeda nonchalantly spoke. Hinata looked at Komaeda in shock. Hinata spent hours studying chemistry and still wasn’t able to get some of the formulas and concepts. Yet Komaeda was standing in front of him and was currently spouting off all the things he learned. 

“You… Must be pretty smart,” Hinata remarked. Komaeda gave him a big smile, revealing his sharp teeth. Hinata rubbed the back of his neck. Listening to Komaeda talk about the topic gave him an idea. 

“Can you… Teach me?” Hinata muttered. He definitely needed help in the subject and having Komaeda living here would make it easy for the kitsune to tutor him. Hinata wasn’t expecting the kitsune’s eyes to light up like Hinata had given him the world. 

“I can help Hinata-Kun?” Komaeda’s tail wagged rapidly. Hinata nodded and smiled as Komaeda let out an excited squeal. He didn’t know the kitsune wanted to help him so much. 

“You can teach me after we eat. Do you want to watch?” Hinata asked. Komaeda nodded his head and ran to Hinata’s room to put the book away. Hinata felt a warmth bloom in his chest. Komaeda was an interesting person. He really did act like a fox but was smart and easy to be around. For someone with social issues like Hinata that was hard to come by. 

Hinata led the kitsune into the kitchen and a thought came to his head. Komaeda would stare and observe him anytime he cooked. It would be good for the kitsune to learn to cook for himself too. 

“Come here. I’ll teach you how to cook.” Hinata gestured. Komaeda tilted his head slightly. 

“Are you sure, Hinata-Kun? I think I will be rather worthless in the kitchen.” Hinata waved the boy off. If Komaeda could understand a concept like chemistry so easily, then it would be easy for him to understand cooking. 

Or so he thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think Meshi likes the Devas  
> 


	12. Chapter 12

Letting Komaeda into the kitchen was a huge mistake. 

Komaeda had only spent ten minutes in the kitchen and it looked like it had survived a war. Flour was spilled all over the floor, pots and pans were scattered everywhere, and every ingredient was spilled. 

Not to mention the kitsune on the floor. 

Komaeda was covered in flour, a pan on his head and biting on his tail. Hinata wasn’t much better. He wasn’t immune to the destruction and his clothes were covered in every ingredient possible. Hinata never expected the kitsune to be so clumsy. 

“I’m sorry. My luck has decided to strike against me once again. I truly am worthless, insignificant, dirty-“ Komaeda rambled on. He was clutching his tail so hard that Hinata was sure it must hurt. Hinata picked up the pan on his head and pulled the kitsune’s tail out of his grasp. 

“It’s okay. You didn’t mean it. Come on, let’s get you up,” Hinata pulled the kitsune to his feet. Komaeda’s ears were pressed against his head in shame. “I’ll just order something.”

“Order?” Komaeda tilted his head. He was awkwardly fidgeting and grabbing onto his kimono. 

“Someone will bring food here. You go and take a bath,” Hinata gestured to the hall leading to his room. He wasn’t looking forward to cleaning this mess but he knew it was better to clean in his already dirty clothes. 

“Come bathe with me, Hinata-Kun,” Komaeda clutched at Hinata’s shirt. Hinata felt his face go bright red and he shook his head. 

“No no no! Y-You just go take a bath. You can borrow my clothes again,” Hinata tried to hide his face. Komaeda hesitated, his hands twitching as if he still had something he wanted to do or say. His ears pressed against his head again and nodded as he walked away. 

Hinata decided to order pizza for the two of them and once it was ordered he got to work. Hinata generally hated cleaning. He was never good at it and he always found it stressful. This was no different. 

He cleaned up everything as best he could and hoped that his parents wouldn’t notice anything being wrong. Just as he had finished, Komaeda came out of the hall. Hinata purposefully looked away. Komaeda had no right looking that cute in his clothes. 

Komaeda was hesitating and seemed worried about getting closer to Hinata. Hinata walked to him and patted him on the shoulder. “It’s okay Komaeda. I promise it’s fine. I’m going to take a shower and I’ll be right back.”

Komaeda didn’t respond but Hinata knew he needed to take a quick shower. He didn’t want the food to arrive while Komaeda was alone in the living room. 

He finished his shower in record time and ran into the living room. He sighed in relief when he saw Komaeda… In the kitchen? The kitsune was scrubbing at one of the counters with a washcloth. Hinata realized that he had forgotten to clean a spot. 

“I’m back,” Hinata called. The kitsune pricked his ears and turned to face him. Hinata looked at the counter that Komaeda had finished cleaning. He was surprised at how clean it was. 

“I hope it’s okay. I learned to clean while living at the shrine,” Komaeda fiddled with his tail. Hinata gave him a reassuring smile. “Thanks, Komaeda! I didn’t notice I missed a spot.”

Komaeda opened his mouth to respond but the sound of the doorbell made him prick his ears. Hinata walked to the door and opened it, surprised to see a familiar face. 

“Nishishi! If it isn’t Hinata-Chan!” Kokichi Ouma let out a childish giggle. Hinata had met the short boy at college and could never stand his constant pranks and lying. 

“How’d you get fired from your last job?” Hinata asked as he grabbed the pizza box and put it on the table near the door. Ouma glared at Hinata at the mention. 

“It wasn’t my fault this time!” Ouma exclaimed. Hinata doubted it but let him continue explaining how there just happened to be a mysterious fire definitely not caused by him at all even when he was standing close by. In the middle of a sentence, he seemed to stop. 

“You have someone over? Can I meet them, can I meet them?” Ouma grinned wickedly and hopped up and down. Hinata felt panic run through his body, but before he could do anything Ouma had slipped past him into his house. 

Fear instantly overtook Hinata and he ran after Ouma. His panic ebbed when he saw Komaeda. The kitsune looked like a normal person. No ears or tail in sight. He was looking at Ouma with wide eyes. 

“Oh! Did Hinata-Chan get a boyfriend without me knowing?” Ouma giggled. Hinata felt heat rush to his face and was ready to throw the little demon out of his house. 

“Oh, that is not it. Hinata-Kun is just letting me stay over for tonight since my home is far away. Time got away from us while I was tutoring him,” Komaeda said. Hinata felt his jaw drop. Komaeda gave no tells that he was lying and was still looking incredibly innocent. Hinata shook his head and grabbed Ouma by the back of his shirt. 

“I’d appreciate it if you’d stop harassing my tutor,” Hinata growled as he dragged Ouma to the front door. Ouma was trying to wiggle free but Hinata had a firm grip on him and pushed him out the door. Hinata heard a muffled “See you tomorrow” after he slammed the door. 

“A friend of yours?” Komaeda came up behind Hinata. His ears and tail were back. 

“More like a tormentor. Good thinking there Komaeda!” Without thinking Hinata ruffled the kitsune’s hair. Komaeda’s eyes widened and he leaned into the touch. Hinata jerked his hand back once he realized what he did. 

“Um… L-let's eat! You must be starving,” Hinata said as he picked up the pizza box and walked to the kitchen. Komaeda trailed behind him. He watched carefully as Hinata opened the box. 

“What’s this?” Komaeda tilted his head. Hinata smiled at the other’s naivety. He grabbed some plates and set two slices on one and handed it to Komaeda. 

“It’s pizza. Just try it,” Hinata gave him a reassuring smile. Komaeda nodded and trotted over to the dinner table. Hinata smiled as the kitsune cautiously looked at the slices, sniffed them, and poked them before finally taking a bite. 

Komaeda tilted his head as he ate. His eyes were wide and he seemed to be savoring the bite. “This doesn’t taste like anything I’ve had before,” Komaeda said as Hinata sat down across from him. 

“Well yeah. If you don't know human food I assumed you wouldn’t know pizza. I don’t know how you survived this long without it though,” Hinata chuckled. He continued watching Komaeda as he picked up his own slice. Komaeda was eating the food like he was trying to figure out the mystery behind it. 

Dinner consisted of Hinata trying to stop himself from giggling as Komaeda made observations that Hinata would debunk or agree with. Komaeda hung on to every word Hinata said like Hinata was giving him the world. Hinata couldn’t help feeling flattered. 

Once Hinata was done putting the leftover pizza in the fridge and cleaning the dishes he looked at the clock. It was still too early for them to go to bed. Komaeda was idly tapping away at the table. 

“Do you feel like tutoring me tonight?” Hinata asked. Komaeda’s eyes shot up and he nodded quickly. Hinata gestured for him to follow and Komaeda scrambled to get up. 

Hinata grabbed the chemistry book and sat on his bed. “I’m terrible at this. If you can get me to understand this then you may just be an angel in disguise.”

Komaeda’s eyes sparkled and he nodded in determination before beginning his explanations. 

___________________________

Komaeda had gotten Hinata to understand chemistry. 

Komaeda had just done the impossible. Hinata was shocked at how well Komaeda taught him the concepts. He applied the knowledge in a way that made sense to Hinata and took the time to answer any question he had. 

Komaeda was starting to explain another concept when he was cut off by a big yawn. Hinata looked at his clock in surprise. It was already late. He was surprised by how fast time went by. Usually, when he was studying chemistry it felt like time was moving at a snail’s pace. 

“That was great Komaeda! Thanks so much!” Hinata knew he had to thank the kitsune. Komaeda played with his tail. There was a slight flush on his face. Hinata swallowed heavily. 

_Really didn’t want to think about my sexuality tonight but I guess that’s out the window._

Hinata placed his chemistry book in his bag and turned around to already find Komaeda tucked into bed. The kitsune was looking at him with tired eyes. Hinata gave him a soft smile as he turned the light off and crawled into bed. 

“Thanks again, Komaeda,” Hinata said. It was silent for a bit and Hinata thought the kitsune had fallen asleep. 

“You shouldn’t be thanking someone like me, Hinata-Kun,” Komaeda’s voice was muffled as he responded. Hinata turned on his side to face Komaeda only for the pillow placed between them to block his vision. He grabbed it and placed it further down the bed. 

“Why do you keep talking like that?” Hinata asked. Komaeda opened his eyes, his ears twitching. 

“Today proved it didn’t it? I bring misfortune. I completely destroyed your kitchen,” Komaeda mumbled. Hinata had almost completely forgotten about the kitchen. 

“But then you helped me with chem. That’s something no one has been able to teach me. I already told you that it was alright,” Hinata spoke softly. The moment felt so incredibly intimate. It was just Komaeda and him in the darkness. 

“I… Don’t think you know what you’re getting into,” Komaeda whispered. Hinata felt the kitsune’s tail brush against his leg. 

“Maybe I don’t. But I like it right now. When things happen later we’ll deal with them then, right? Why can’t we be happy now?” Hinata was surprised at his own words. He was usually pretty pessimistic and he never would’ve thought he would be saying things like this. 

Komaeda looked at him in silence. The silence was broken as Komaeda shuffled closer. Hinata felt his face heat up as the kitsune pressed his face against his chest. A soft purr filled the room. 

“May I… Have this? Just for tonight?” Komaeda whispered. Hinata knew his heart was beating incredibly fast. 

“Y-Yeah. If it’ll help you sleep,” Hinata mumbled. At his confirmation, Komaeda nuzzled closer. Hinata cautiously wrapped his arms around the kitsune and buried his face into his hair. 

Hinata felt his eyelids drooping. Komaeda felt nice against him. His hair, ears, and tail were incredibly soft. 

It didn’t take long at all for him to fall asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meshi hopes everyone had a great Christmas!  
> 


	13. Chapter 13

Hinata was bundled up in his winter clothes as he walked to university. The only sounds were coming from Nanami’s console as she walked next to him. Hinata had gotten used to steering her away from signs, trees, and poles so he doesn’t run straight into them. 

Snow was gently falling from the sky. Hinata couldn’t help but think of Komaeda when he saw it. He still felt guilty knowing that Komaeda was stuck hiding under his bed while he was out here. It was unfair to the kitsune, but he didn’t have a choice. 

“Hajime-Chan!” Hinata immediately felt his blood run cold at the voice. Ouma was running towards him, a big smile on his face. Nanami raised her eyes from her console. 

“Hajime-Chan! How’s your boyfriend?” Ouma asked as he jumped in place. Nanami gave him a sharp look, confusion clear in her furrowed brows. 

“He’s not my boyfriend! He’s my tutor,” Hinata sighed. Nanami was still looking at him intensely. 

“Oh yeah. It’s not like that was a lie, right?” Ouma‘s voice deepened as his sentence reached an end. Hinata felt his blood run cold. Had Ouma seen Komaeda’s true form? “So, have you two sealed the deal of your relationship yet?”

Hinata almost sighed in relief. The fact that Ouma was only bringing up the potential relationship showed that he didn't see anything. Hinata’s eyes widened happily as he saw someone walking closer, staring at his phone. 

Hinata quickly picked up Ouma. The other was incredibly small so it wasn’t surprising that he was so light. Ouma complained as Hinata power walked over to the walking boy and set Ouma in front of him. 

“Hey, Saihara-Kun! Take Ouma. Take him. Thanks!” Hinata spoke quickly, leaving the young detective looking incredibly confused. Hinata was just happy that Ouma had already latched onto the other’s arm. Saihara was the only one who was able to handle Ouma and he was practically a godsend. 

When he got far away from Ouma, Hinata stopped to let Nanami catch up. He was surprised to see her running and not looking at her game. She stopped running when she saw him. 

“What was that about?” Nanami asked in her usual tired tone. Hinata rubbed his head. He already felt a headache coming on. 

“Nothing. Ouma works as a pizza delivery boy now and he met my tutor. It’s nothing special,” Hinata sighed. Nanami kept her curious eyes on him. 

“Finally followed my advice, huh?” A new voice made the two look in front of them. Nanami smiled happily as they saw Harukawa standing nearby. 

“Hey, Maki. Yeah, I got a tutor. Should’ve listened to you sooner,” Hinata put his hands up in defeat. He hated lying to his friends like this, but he had no other options. 

Harukawa was a natural part of Hinata and Nanami’s lives. She was a big sister figure to them growing up and they had gotten attached quickly. It felt complete walking with both Nanami and Harukawa. 

“How’s your fox friend?” Harukawa asked. She was twirling one of her knives around and Hinata wondered how she got so good with it. Although he guessed being a weapons enthusiast meant knowing how to handle said weapons. 

“He’s fine. Still clinging to me,” Hinata thought about Komaeda wrapped around him as he slept. Harukawa hummed in response and then turned her attention to Nanami, asking questions about how her relationship was going. 

Hinata sighed in relief. Being asked so many questions always made him nervous, especially when he was lying. However, he knew he wasn’t out of the woods yet. 

Nanami’s eyes kept straying to him as they walked to class. 

__________________

Hinata entered his home with a relieved sigh. 

Nanami hadn’t questioned him at all on their walk home. Hinata knew she still had something she wanted to say though. He just needed to prepare. Nanami wouldn’t let him keep secrets from her. She had simply hugged him when they reached the area where they had to split up to go home. 

“Komaeda!” Hinata called into the house. As usual, he heard the scrambling sound of Komaeda squeezing out from under the bed and the soft sounds of him as he ran into the entranceway. He slid a bit on the wood floor but ran right to Hinata and hugged him. Hinata felt his entire face flush as the kitsune welcomed him home. 

Hinata felt the kitsune sniff at his neck and stiffen up. Hinata awkwardly stood there as the kitsune continued sniffing him and then pulled away. His ears were pressed against his head and a light growl was coming from his throat. 

“You smell like her,” Komaeda stated. Hinata looked at the kitsune in confusion. He was practically bristling, his tail fluffed up. 

“Are you talking about Nanami?” Hinata asked. Komaeda nodded, his hard glare still in place. Hinata didn’t know how to respond. 

“Uh yeah. She hugged me before going to her girlfriend’s house,” Hinata awkwardly responded. He didn’t know what to do in this situation. 

“G-Girlfriend?” Komaeda’s ears rose from his head and his tail settled down. Hinata was still really confused. 

“Yeah her name’s Sonia.” Komaeda was silent for a bit. Hinata almost thought he said something wrong, but Komaeda gave a hesitant smile. 

“Sorry for overreacting, Hinata-Kun,” the kitsune gave a shy smile. Hinata waved him off to tell him it was fine. Hinata pondered over Komaeda’s behavior as he headed into the kitchen to make them some food. 

_Did Komaeda get jealous?_

Hinata shook his head at the thought. There was no way. Hinata must have just been imagining things. As Hinata got out the ingredients to make them lunch, he saw Komaeda inspecting the fruit bowl on the table. 

Hinata let him continue. It wouldn’t hurt for Komaeda to have a small snack before eating. He was sure the kitsune was hungry. Hinata busied himself with making the food. 

He realized that he was now actively cooking and making meals for himself. Before Komaeda came around, Hinata had been in a rut. He barely had the energy to do anything so he would often just pick up food or not eat at all. 

However, now that Komaeda was here that wasn’t something he could do anymore. Hinata felt a soft smile on his face. Komaeda was an improvement in his entire life. He looked over at the table and his eyes widened. 

Komaeda had peeled the rind off of a lemon and gave it a lick. The kitsune’s face immediately scrunched up and he began to sputter. Hinata couldn’t help it. He started laughing. 

Komaeda tried to glare at Hinata but it didn’t work since he was still tasting the sourness of the lemon. Hinata was bent over, clutching his stomach as he laughed. When he recovered, he grabbed a bottled water from the fridge and placed it in front of Komaeda. 

The kitsune immediately grabbed it and started chugging the water. Hinata wiped the tears from his eyes as he watched the kitsune drink. He grabbed the lemon and watched as Komaeda began to growl at it. 

“Have you never seen a lemon before?” Hinata asked. Komaeda didn’t even seem to hear him. His ears were pressed against his head and a low growl was coming from his throat. “You’re not supposed to eat these. They’re sour.”

Komaeda kept his glare on the lemon as Hinata threw it away. His ears only perked up when Hinata walked over and ruffled his hair. Hinata ran his fingers through the softness as he regained his composure from laughing. 

“No more lemons, huh?” Hinata smiled. Komaeda huffed. 

___________________

Komaeda kept fidgeting and it was getting really distracting. 

After eating together, Hinata decided to watch some tv. Komaeda happily joined him, still very intrigued by the television. Everything started just fine. However, a quarter through the movie Komaeda began to fidget. 

He clenched and unclenched his hands in his kimono, grabbed his tail, bit at his tail, and kept glancing at Hinata. Hinata couldn’t help but be concerned. Was Komaeda bored? He could be. Maybe he wanted to watch something. 

“What’s up? Why do you keep moving so much?” Hinata decided to just ask straight up. Komaeda let go of his tail at the surprise question. “Are you bored?”

“N-No Hinata-Kun. It’s just…” the kitsune trailed off. He was aggressively rubbing his tail and Hinata made him let go of it. 

“Come on. Just tell me what’s on your mind,” Hinata sighed. Komaeda’s ears pressed against his head and he seemed to be debating with himself. He finally returned his gaze to Hinata. 

“It is a selfish request. You really shouldn’t be concerned about it. It’s not important,” Komaeda said. Hinata shook his head with a sigh and put his hands on Komaeda’s shoulder. 

“You can be selfish. I don’t care. If I don’t want to do what you ask then I’ll just say no. But I'll never know what you want if you don’t tell me.” Komaeda stared at him like he said something strange. Before Hinata could say anything else, Komaeda swallowed heavily and turned a shy gaze to him. 

“It’s just… when I was in feral form I would always sit on your lap while we watched things,” Komaeda mumbled. Hinata had to let the words process but when he understood the meaning he became bright red. 

“I. I. Uh,” Hinata couldn’t string together words. It was like his brain had completely shut down. 

“O-Of course there’s no way you would want trash like me to be on your lap though. I truly am terrible for even suggesting such a thing. If you want you can hit me or-“ Komaeda’s ramble was cut off as Hinata pulled the kitsune into his lap. 

Komaeda let out a surprised squeal as he was pulled. Hinata’s face was still bright red. He settled Komaeda onto his side, Hinata’s left arm supporting the kitsune’s back. Komaeda’s eyes were wide, but he cautiously nuzzled against Hinata’s chest. 

Hinata tried his best to concentrate on the movie. However, that was proving to be difficult. Komaeda’s cool body was pressed against him and he could feel his every breath. His feelings were only amplified as Komaeda grabbed Hinata’s right hand and began nibbling on his fingers. 

Ko had always done that. Now Komaeda was doing it. Of course, it would be normal for Komaeda to think he could do it. Hinata’s entire body felt hot. Komaeda’s mouth was hot as he nibbled and licked, his breath puffing out over Hinata’s fingers. 

Hinata desperately tried to keep all inappropriate thoughts away. If he got hard here then Komaeda would definitely notice. His mind came to a grinding halt at the thought. 

… He wasn’t straight, huh. 

Hinata’s concentration was fully on staying focused on the film and not the cute kitsune on his lap. He only looked down when he noticed that Komaeda had stopped nibbling and licking, but kept his fingers in his mouth. 

Komaeda was asleep. His white eyelashes fluttered against his cheeks as he dreamed. His face was so peaceful that Hinata couldn’t look away. He pulled the kitsune a little closer. 

As he stared at Komaeda he knew he had to admit to the feelings he was having. He couldn’t go on denying them forever. He was attracted to Komaeda. Really attracted to Komaeda. Hinata didn’t know how to deal with those feelings. Should he tell him? Should he keep them to himself? What if Komaeda rejected him?

Hinata shook his head. He could think of those questions later. Right now he could savor the moment. He pulled Komaeda tight against him. The kitsune made a little noise in his sleep. Hinata ran his right hand through the kitsune’s soft hair, feeling at his ears. 

Komaeda had come into his life like a hurricane and was here to stay. Hinata wouldn’t have it any other way. He would do anything to keep the kitsune happy. He was sure of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meshi made another new friend!  
> 


	14. Chapter 14

“I’m leaving, Komaeda!” 

After breakfast that morning, Komaeda had hurried into Hinata’s bedroom. Hinata guessed that he wanted to get everything ready for when he was gone. Hinata picked up his bag and pulled the strap over his head. 

Luckily, it wasn’t as cold as usual. Hinata let out a sigh of relief. He hated feeling like his fingers were going to freeze off. He began to run, knowing Nanami would be waiting for him. 

Sure enough, the gamer was playing on her console when Hinata found her. She gave him one of her signature tired smiles and started walking. This had been their routine ever since they were kids. Nanami was the type of person he felt comfortable walking in silence with. 

“Sonia, Tanaka, Souda, and I are going to get lunch after classes. Wanna join?” Nanami asked. Hinata awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. 

“I don’t know,” Hinata said, thinking of Komaeda. He didn’t want to leave the kitsune alone for too long. He still felt bad having Komaeda stuck under his bed. But he knew Nanami was already suspicious of him. “I-If it's quick, yeah.”

Nanami gave a small nod and yawned. Hinata let out a sigh. It was also probably going to be pretty awkward since he was the only single one there. But he knew Nanami wouldn’t have invited him if it was a double date. Hinata’s mind still strayed to Komaeda. He hoped the kitsune would be alright. 

____________________

Hinata sat at his seat with a sigh. This was his longest class and he knew he would be sitting here for a while. Not to mention…

“What’s up, virgin?!” The loud voice made Hinata flinch. Iruma Miu came trotting up to him with her signature cocky smirk. “Have you finally gotten laid?”

“Why are you like this?” Hinata sighed. Iruma just _had_ to choose the spot right next to him huh? The class just started and Hinata was already about to slam his face into the desk. 

Iruma began chattering on but Hinata had already learned how to tune the girl out. Hinata had already grabbed a piece of paper from the front so now he just needed to grab his pencil. Hinata picked up his bag and opened it, gasped, and immediately shut it again. 

“What the fuck was that about?” Iruma asked, reaching for his bag. Hinata pulled the bag away and shot her a glare. 

“Nothing!” Hinata practically growled. Iruma let out a startled, high pitched sound. 

“W-What? I-I was just trying to see,” Iruma stuttered. Hinata shot her another glare before pulling his bag away from her and looking inside again. 

Yup. He wasn’t hallucinating. Komaeda was in his bag. He blinked at Hinata, his tail wagging slightly. The little fox looked extremely proud of himself. 

“What the fuck are you doing?” Hinata whispered. Komaeda let out a quiet giggle and Hinata quickly closed the bag again. He’d be in so much trouble if anyone saw Komaeda. 

The professor’s voice startled Hinata into paying attention. He cursed quietly as he realized he still needed a pencil. Hinata looked down at his bag and sighed at what he saw. 

Komaeda had poked his snout out of the small gap in the bag, a pencil in his jaws. Hinata begrudgingly took the pencil from the fox’s jaws and watched the snout retreat back into the bag. 

Hinata let out another sigh. This was going to be a long day. 

_____________________

As soon as Hinata was out of class, he started jogging. He needed to get back home. Yet, before he got the opportunity a voice called him back. 

“Hinata-Kun! What about lunch?” Nanami called. Hinata skidded to a halt. Right. Lunch. With a fox in his bag. Great. Nanami had trotted up to him and grabbed his arm. 

“Are you okay, Hinata-Kun? You’re acting weird,” Nanami had a determined expression on. Hinata shook his head. 

“I-I’m fine. Come on. Let’s just go to lunch,” Hinata sighed. Nanami stared silently for a bit before leading him away. Hinata could feel Komaeda fidgeting a bit in the bag. Hinata could only hope that he would behave. 

Nanami took Hinata to an outdoor area, explaining that Tanaka and Souda were grabbing food for them. Sonia was already sitting at the table, waving at the two of them. As Hinata got closer, Sonia‘s eyes widened and seemed to sparkle. 

“Oh my goodness, Hinata-San! You have decided to bring your friend,” Sonia clapped her hands in excitement. Pure dread rushed through Hinata. He looked at his bag and saw Komaeda’s head sticking out. 

Nanami’s eyes widened as she followed Sonia’s gaze. Hinata just sighed. This was his life now huh?

Hinata approached the table, sitting down and pulling Komaeda out of the bag. Sonia made an excited noise as she stood up to run to his side. Nanami also cautiously approached. 

“This must be Ko!” Sonia exclaimed as she reached out a hand to pet him. Hinata expected Komaeda to reach aggressively as he did with Nanami, but he allowed her to pet him. 

Nanami was more cautious. She reached her hand out and gave him a small pat on the head. Her eyes widened when he didn’t react negatively. Hinata couldn’t help but smile when she happily began petting him. She let out an excited noise as Komaeda began purring. 

“What the fuck?!” Souda’s voice rang across the area as he approached with Tanaka next to him. Hinata sighed. All of his friend’s eyes were on him and Komaeda. 

“It seems you have finally acquired a familiar,” Tanaka chuckled. Sonia and Nanami were still fawning over Komaeda as the food was placed on the table. 

“He snuck into my bag this morning. Scared the hell out of me,” Hinata sighed. Komaeda rubbed his face against Hinata’s stomach as an apology. 

“Wow! Aren't you a smart boy?” Sonia cooed as she scratched him behind the ear. Komaeda let out a happy squeal in response. 

“No I think the goal is to not have him get into my bag,” Hinata sighed. Tanaka chuckled as he reached into his bag. 

“Foxes are known for their independent natures. I don’t think you will be able to sway him so easily,” Tanaka said as he brought out a small bag. “I do have treats that your demon beast may be fond of.”

Hinata gave Tanaka his thanks as he grabbed the bag. As he opened it, Komaeda’s nose began to twitch and he tried shoving his nose into the bag. Hinata let him have full control of the bag and watched him happily begin to eat. 

“It seems I have won your trust. Shall I make you my thrall?” Tanaka chuckled as he stroked Komaeda. Hinata felt a little flare of jealousy in his stomach as he pulled Komaeda closer on his lap. Komaeda looked up at him and gave him a little lick on the face. 

“Aw! He kissed you!” Sonia practically squealed. Hinata felt his face heat up as Nanami also giggled. He had a lot to talk to Komaeda about when they got home. 

______________________

Hinata let out a sigh of relief as he entered his home. The whole lunch was spent with his friends fawning over Komaeda and giving him lots of love and attention. Hinata was swarmed by them since Komaeda refused to leave his lap. 

As Hinata took off his jacket, he heard a swishing sound and when he turned around he saw Komaeda standing in his human form, ears pressed against his head. Hinata put his hands on his hips, making the kitsune fiddle with his tail. 

“Well? Are you gonna explain?” Hinata asked. Komaeda let out a little whimper as he fiddled with his tail more. 

“I… was selfish. I didn’t want to be away from Hinata-Kun,” Komaeda mumbled. He looked miserable as he continued fiddling with his tail, his ears pressed against his head. Hinata tried to stay looking serious but he sighed and approached Komaeda, hugging him. 

“It must be pretty lonely all by yourself huh?” Hinata asked. He felt Komaeda nod against his shoulder. Hinata ran his fingers through the kitsune’s hair, feeling the ears twitch. 

“I know it must suck but it’s dangerous for me to take you to school. If anyone sees you I’ll be in trouble,” Hinata said as he pulled back from the hug. Komaeda gave a small nod with a whimper. 

“I’m sorry, Hinata-Kun,” Komaeda said. Hinata sighed and ruffled the kitsune’s hair. 

“It’s okay. I understand why you did it. I’d probably do the same,” Hinata said. He hummed as he poked at Komaeda’s ears. “If only you could hide your ears and tail for longer then it would be fine.”

An idea popped into Hinata’s mind. He walked behind Komaeda to look at his tail. It was rather fluffy, but if Komaeda tucked it between his legs then it should be fine. Komaeda was looking back at him nervously. 

“What are you doing, Hinata-Kun?” Komaeda began to fidget in place. Hinata realized how creepy he probably looked so he cleared his throat and walked back to Komaeda’s front. 

“S-Sorry. If you have something light covering your ears will you still be able to hear?” Hinata asked. Komaeda’s ears twitched in response and he hummed. 

“I believe so. I think my hearing will be brought to that of an average human if something light is covering them,” Komaeda said with a curious look at Hinata. Hinata smiled at him and ruffled his hair. 

“Great. I have an idea but I’m not really sure if it’ll work yet. Just wait a bit okay? I’ll find a way to bring you with me,” Hinata smiled. Komaeda’s tail began to wag and he let out a happy noise. 

It seemed like Hinata would have to do a little shopping. He would also need to buy Komaeda his own clothes if he was going to go outside. He usually would be annoyed at having to do a chore like shopping, but seeing Komaeda so excited made it not seem so bad. 

If it made Komaeda happy and it meant he could spend more time with the kitsune then it would be worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Puppetmaeda is a bit clingy. Luckily, Meshi loves cuddles!  
> 


	15. Chapter 15

Hinata opened the door to his home with a smile on his face. Shopping wasn’t as hard as he thought it would be. It was easy to estimate Komaeda’s size based on how he looked in Hinata’s clothes. 

Hinata called his usual greeting and listened as Komaeda came running out of their room. The kitsune looked happy as usual even if Hinata was gone for a short time. Hinata smiled as the kitsune hugged him. 

“Sorry I can’t hug back. My hands are full,” Hinata chuckled. Komaeda let out a surprised noise and looked at the bags Hinata was holding. “This stuff in here is going to help us disguise you when we go out.”

Komaeda’s eyes widened before immediately trying to rummage through the bags. “H-Hey, be patient!” Hinata exclaimed as the kitsune pulled something out of one of the bags. Komaeda was knocked back by the force of his pulling, the article of clothing covering him. Hinata just sighed as he looked at the kitsune. 

“Hm? What is this, Hinata-Kun?” The kitsune tilted his head as he examined the clothing. It was a long green jacket. It would be able to go down to Komaeda’s knees. Hinata grabbed the jacket and placed it back into one of the bags. 

“Come on,” Hinata said as he dragged Komaeda to his feet and pulled him into their room. The kitsune still looked very confused and was trying to peek into the bags. “It’s not anything special, Komaeda. It’s clothing.”

“How will that help disguise me Hinata-Kun?” Komaeda tilted his head, skepticism clear in his eyes. Hinata began to rummage through the bags and pulled out a combination of clothes. 

“Here. Go into the bathroom and put these on,” Hinata said as he handed the clothes to Komaeda. The kitsune tilted his head once again but gave a small nod before hurrying into the bathroom. Hinata let out a sigh as he laid back on his bed. 

He really hoped this worked, but he was also worried. Komaeda still wasn’t used to human culture and he didn’t know how he would react around others. Yet, the guilt of having Komaeda stuck under his bed every time he went out kept gnawing at Hinata. He also wouldn’t put it past the kitsune to continue sneaking into his bag. 

It also was a problem that he couldn’t bring Komaeda into the lecture halls. He wasn’t a student after all. So Komaeda would have to stay outside while Hinata was in class. The idea of the kitsune wandering and getting lost made fear grip Hinata’s heart. 

He let out another sigh. He would just have to see how it goes. There was nothing else he could do in this situation. He could only hope for the best. 

“Hinata-Kun?” Komaeda’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He looked at Komaeda and let out a sigh of relief. Komaeda was wearing a white shirt with a strange red symbol on it, jeans, a long green jacket, and a beanie. 

“It looks good!” Hinata commented as he got closer to look. Komaeda was looking at himself with a strange expression.

“How will this disguise me, Hinata-Kun?” Komaeda asked. Hinata chuckled. With how the kitsune was wearing things now it wouldn’t. The beanie was successfully covering Komaeda’s ears, but his tail was still visible. 

“Tuck your tail between your legs. I’ll show you,” Hinata said. Komaeda obediently did as Hinata told him. Hinata grabbed the zipper of the coat and pulled it up. Komaeda let out a startled sound as it was pulled up. 

“There!” Hinata let out a triumphant laugh. The long green coat went down to Komaeda’s knees and successfully covered the kitsune’s tail. Komaeda was also looking at himself in amazement. 

“Amazing job, Hinata-Kun,” Komaeda jumped slightly, a big smile on his face. Hinata felt his face heat up at the praise and how happy the kitsune looked. Komaeda’s smile fell a bit as he let out a small whine. 

“Human clothing is so restricting. Can I wear Hinata-Kun’s clothes instead?” Komaeda tilted his head. Hinata scoffed at the idea. 

“Yeah. That’s not happening,” Hinata mumbled. Komaeda practically drowned in his clothes and it didn’t help when it came to his attraction for the kitsune. Komaeda let out a disappointed hum but still seemed happy with having his tail and ears hidden. 

“Alright. I have class tomorrow so we can test this out then. Just try to be on your best behavior,” Hinata sighed. Komaeda let out an excited noise as he nodded. Hinata could only hope for the best. 

______________________

“Alright. Remember to always keep your tail tucked in and when I’m in class don’t leave the table I left you at.”

Hinata didn’t know if the kitsune even heard him. He was practically bouncing with excitement. Hinata let out a sigh, knowing that there wasn’t much else he could do. He simply picked up his bag and opened the door. 

Komaeda waited patiently while Hinata locked the door but Hinata could tell he was eager to get moving. Hinata made sure to pack books for Komaeda to read while he was in class. He hoped the curious kitsune would be pleased with his selection. 

“You’ve never met any other humans except for me, right?” Hinata asked as he started to walk.

“Yes. Hinata-Kun is the first human I’ve ever seen,” Komaeda said. Hinata hummed. Komaeda had learned some things about humanity by watching films with him but he didn’t know how the kitsune would react when talking to others. 

Well, the first test was coming into view. 

Nanami was tapping away at her console as usual. When she saw him she gave a wave but stopped when she noticed the one next to him. Hinata felt Komaeda grip the sleeve of his jacket. 

“Hey, Nanami. This is my new friend, Komaeda Nagito,” Hinata decided to introduce the kitsune for him. Nanami looked at Hinata and then at Komaeda. 

“Ko… Maeda,” Nanami slowly pronounced the name. As she said it Hinata felt panic grip him. 

_Shit shit shit I shouldn’t have given Komaeda a name with ‘Ko’ in it I’m so fucked._

Before Hinata could say anymore Nanami walked up to Komaeda. The kitsune seemed a little frightened but he stayed still. Until Nanami started to poke various parts of him. 

Komaeda let out a scared noise and ran to hide behind Hinata. Nanami’s expression was blank as usual. Hinata knew that she was suspicious. He could only feel fear as he stared at his friend. He could feel Komaeda’s hands gripping his jacket. 

For a few tense moments, Nanami was silent. Hinata almost sighed out loud as she finally gave a small bow. 

“My name is Nanami Chiaki. It’s nice to meet you, Komaeda-Kun,” Nanami’s voice was as soft and polite as usual. Komaeda peeked from behind Hinata. He timidly gave a small bow in return. 

“Well, I guess we should get going huh?” Hinata said, trying desperately to get moving. He didn’t want Nanami to have any more time to analyze Komaeda. Nanami gave a short nod. Hinata expected Komaeda to leave his spot, but he seemed pretty content gripping onto Hinata’s coat. 

“So, are you going for classes too, Komaeda-Kun,” Nanami asked as she resumed tapping away at her console. Hinata silently cursed himself. He didn’t tell Komaeda what to say in situations like these. He expected the kitsune to exclaim that he was only there to be with Hinata. 

Yet, there was no answer. Hinata gave a confused look at Komaeda. The usually talkative kitsune was completely silent. Nanami also looked at Komaeda with a curious look. 

“U-Uh how about you go on ahead Nanami? We’ll be there in a second,” Hinata said. Nanami was silent for a bit as she stared at the two of them. Hinata relaxed as she gave a nod and started walking. It was only when she was far enough away that Hinata spoke. 

“Why aren’t you saying anything?” Hinata scowled. That little stunt probably only made Nanami more suspicious. Komaeda tensed up and gave Hinata a look that resembled a kicked puppy. 

“I-I am not supposed to speak in front of others,” Komaeda mumbled. Hinata could imagine the kitsune’s ears pressed against his head underneath the beanie. Hinata gave Komaeda a confused look. 

“When the hell did you get that idea? I never said that!” Hinata exclaimed. This only seemed to make Komaeda more nervous. He was clutching at his long coat, clearly wanting to be grabbing his tail. 

“I-I was always told that when I am in the presence of many that I shouldn’t speak. I was meant to be quiet and behave,” Komaeda mumbled. Hinata’s eyes widened at the kitsune’s words. Once again he was getting hints about Komaeda’s previous life. Every new piece of information only seemed to paint an even bleaker picture. Hinata grabbed Komaeda’s hands. 

“Komaeda. You aren’t where you used to be. You’re with me. That means the previous rules that you had don’t apply anymore. You can talk as much as you want,” Hinata whispered. Komaeda’s eyes were wide and startled. The Kitsune gave a small nod. 

“Th-Thank you, Hinata-Kun,” Komaeda said. Hinata felt his face heat up as he pulled his hands away. 

“D-Don’t thank me,” Hinata mumbled as he rubbed the back of his neck. Komaeda giggled slightly. Hinata gave a relieved sigh at the sight. Komaeda looked much better when he was happy. 

“Come on. You still have other people to meet right? After class, I’ll even take you to a restaurant. How does that sound?” Hinata asked. Komaeda gave an excited nod. Hinata patted the kitsune on the shoulder. He wanted to ruffle his hair but was afraid of messing up the beanie. 

Hinata grabbed Komaeda’s hand again and broke into a run. He knew Nanami was a slow walker so it wouldn’t take long to catch up. Sure enough, the gamer came into view quickly. The two of them skidded to a stop behind her. 

“Sorry, Nanami,” Hinata apologized. Nanami gave a little shake of her head to show that she didn’t mind. Komaeda’s eyes were still cautious but he approached her. His eyes landed on the console she was carrying. 

“What’s that?” Komaeda asked. Nanami looked back at her game and started pressing buttons. 

“It’s Okami. Wait, have you never played it?” Nanami’s eyes practically sparkled with excitement. Komaeda gave a small shake of his head. Nanami broke into a wide smile. 

Hinata sighed. He would have to listen to one of Nanami’s long gaming spiels. Hinata’s dread only worsened as he saw the interest in Komaeda’s eyes. He could practically see the many questions Komaeda wanted to ask. 

This was going to be a long walk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They are discussing how to summon Hinata  
> 


	16. Chapter 16

Nanami and Komaeda seemed to make fast friends. Hinata was forced to listen to the both of them go on and on, Komaeda asking questions and Nanami excitedly answering. She seemed legitimately disappointed when they had to depart. 

“Okay. You need to sit here and wait for me to get back,” Hinata motioned to a bench that was very close to his lecture hall. He expected the kitsune to complain about not being able to follow, but he happily sat down with a smile. Hinata dug through his bag and brought out books and a small bag of strawberries. The bag was quickly snatched from his hands. 

“H-Hey! No that’s only for if you get hungry!” Hinata exclaimed. Komaeda let out a disappointed squeal. Hinata just stared at him and sighed. “F-Fine. You can have a few but save the rest just in case. You might get hungry when I’m in class.”

“Thank you, Hinata-Kun!” Komaeda gave him a big smile and wrapped his arms around Hinata’s middle. Hinata tried not to blush and watched as the kitsune happily ate some of the strawberries. 

“Well, I need to get going. Remember to stay here, okay? Don’t leave,” Hinata reiterated. Komaeda gave him a determined nod. The kitsune was already opening one of the books Hinata had packed. 

The student had a hard time walking into the lecture hall. He wanted to stay with the kitsune and make sure he was safe. He sighed and tried to compose himself. Komaeda wasn’t a child. He could take care of himself. 

He would just have to trust him to do as he said. 

____________________

Hinata was so tired already. Iruma was especially talkative that day and Hinata was stuck listening to her go on and on about different things. He wanted to slam his head into the desk. Maybe it would knock him out. 

When the class was over he was more than happy to hurry out. He quickly packed his things and practically sprinted out of the lecture hall. The first thing he did when he got outside was look towards the bench. He sighed in relief when he saw Komaeda standing there, hopping a bit in place. 

Hinata lightly jogged closer to him. His eyes widened when he saw the kitsune’s jacket moving. His tail was wagging underneath the jacket. Without thinking Hinata quickly grabbed the jacket to hold it in place. Komaeda let out a startled squeak and the movement stopped. He gave Hinata an apologetic look. 

“Hey, crotch rot seems you finally got laid huh!” Iruma’s voice bellowed out. Hinata immediately let go of Komaeda’s jacket, flustered. Komaeda tilted his head in confusion. 

“Fuck off, Iruma!” Hinata yelled after her. He could hear her high pitched squeal of fear as she ran off. Hinata sighed as the anger left him. At least Komaeda didn’t know what that phrase meant. 

“What next, Hinata-Kun?” Komaeda tilted his head, unfazed by what happened. Before Hinata could respond, two loud voices cut in. 

“Hajime-Chan!” One voice said. Hinata whipped around to see one of his friends, Mioda Ibuki, charging towards him, Souda close behind. Hinata smiled as the eccentric girl practically tackled him in a hug. 

“Hajime-Chan it’s been so long!” Mioda squealed as she squeezed Hinata. Mioda was a musician and had been on tour for the past month. Although she was loud and eccentric, she was a great friend. 

“Dude, you have to hear this!” Souda exclaimed. Hinata sighed as the two of them started fighting for his attention. He put his hands up to signal that he wanted to speak. 

“Before anything else, I need to introduce you to…” Hinata trailed off as he looked at Komaeda. The kitsune was holding on to his beanie, eyes screwed shut as if he was in pain. Realization dawned on him. Souda and Mioda were both loud. Komaeda had sensitive ears. 

“H-Hey, can you guys try to be a bit quieter?” Hinata asked his two friends. Mioda seemed like she was about to say something, but then her eyes landed on Komaeda. She ran up to him and grabbed his hands. 

“Who’s this cutie?” Mioda asked. Luckily, it seemed she understood why Hinata asked to be quieter as she spoke more softly. Hinata felt a small twinge of jealousy as she squeezed the kitsune’s hands. 

“I-I’m Komaeda Nagito,” he bowed respectfully. Mioda let out a squeal of excitement. Her eyes landed back on Hinata. 

“Did you finally find a partner?” She got straight to the point. Hinata immediately sputtered, his face rapidly heating up. Komaeda seemed to notice his issue as he put his hands up and shook his head. 

“No no! To think Hinata-Kun would ever be with a lowly worm like me is laughable,” the kitsune’s face had a slight flush on it. Mioda pouted and grabbed Komaeda’s hands again. 

“Hey! No self hate here!” Mioda gave Komaeda a stern look. Komaeda seemed a little startled. Mioda giggled at him. 

“You really are cute!” She patted his head as she spoke. Fear immediately coursed through Hinata’s veins. Komaeda seemed to be feeling the same. If Mioda felt the ears that were under Komaeda’s beanie then it was all over. 

“You and I need to have a sleepover, Nagito-Chan! I’d love to give you a makeover!” Mioda laughed. Hinata felt himself relax. He had never been happier that Mioda only focused on things she liked. 

“Oh yeah. Mioda, Tanaka, Nanami, Sonia, and I were all gonna meet up for lunch so we were here to invite you. Your friend can tag along if you’d like,” Souda said. Hinata gave his friend a grateful nod. 

“Nagito-Chan has to come!” Mioda called. Hinata looked at the kitsune, seeing if he would like to go. He seemed a bit overwhelmed by all the attention, but he gave Hinata a small nod. 

“Fine. We’ll come,” Hinata said. Mioda jumped in the air with an excited noise. Komaeda flinched slightly at the noise but recovered quickly. 

Hinata only hoped that the others would be kind to him. 

___________________

It turned out that Hinata had nothing to worry about. 

All of his friends were happy to include Komaeda in their meetup. Nanami especially seemed happy that he was there, trying to teach him the controls behind Okami. Komaeda’s eyes seemed to sparkle as he chimed into conversations. Hinata never expected the kitsune to be so happy to be included. 

Sonia and Mioda both fawned over the kitsune as gave him compliments that he had a hard time accepting. Tanaka acted as weird as he usually did and Hinata noticed Komaeda staring at him rather intently. It didn’t take long for Hinata to realize that he was waiting for treats. 

However, after a while, Hinata noticed that Komaeda was yawning more and more often. He was slower at reacting when others were talking to him and seemed to slowly be getting overwhelmed. That’s when Hinata announced that he needed to walk Komaeda home. Everyone wished them well as they left. 

“Hey, are you okay?” Hinata asked as soon as they were outside. Komaeda was slightly stumbling as he walked. Komaeda gave Hinata a reassuring smile. 

“I’m fine, Hinata-Kun. I’ve just never talked to so many people before. It’s a bit tiring,” the kitsune said. Hinata sighed in relief. He thought Komaeda was getting sick. 

“That’s alright. It happens to me too. My friends are a bit of a handful,” Hinata chuckled. Komaeda gave a big smile but soon stumbled in his steps. Hinata quickly grabbed him to make sure he didn’t fall. 

“All that talking really did tire you out, huh?” Hinata asked. Komaeda seemed determined to try walking on his own, but it was pretty obvious that he was having a hard time. The kitsune looked like he was dead on his feet. 

“Hey. How about you turn into your fox form. No one will see you here and then I can carry you the rest of the way,” Hinata suggested. Komaeda looked at Hinata, alarmed. 

“No! There’s no way I could make Hinata-Kun carry me!” Komaeda exclaimed. Hinata sighed at his stubbornness. 

“Come on. Just do it. You’re really light. It isn’t an issue. Plus we’ll move faster if I’m carrying you,” Hinata said. Komaeda seemed ready to argue until the last sentence. It seemed like if Hinata wanted to help Komaeda he would have to convince him that it was for some other reason other than helping him. 

With a small flash of white, Komaeda turned into his fox form. Hinata smiled at the tiny figure and leaned down to scoop him up. Komaeda let out a little sound of relief as he was carried. 

Hinata was surprised to find himself smiling as he carried the little fox. He truly felt happy. Seeing Komaeda talking with his friends had made him feel relieved and giddy. He didn’t understand how Komaeda could have such an amazing impact on his life. 

Komaeda was slowly falling asleep in his arms. By the time they reached Hinata’s house, the little fox was sleeping soundly. The warmth of the house seemed to startle him awake with a big yawn. 

“We’re home,” Hinata laughed. Komaeda let out a small huff. The student gently placed the small fox on the couch and watched as the flash of light returned, revealing Komaeda’s human form. He was slumped on the couch, clearly not wanting to get up. 

“Come on. Let’s at least get you changed into something more comfortable,” Hinata said as he pulled the beanie off of Komaeda. The kitsune let out a sigh of relief and lifted his hands to rub at his ears. “Did the beanie hurt your ears?”

“No, they only ache a bit. I’ll be fine,” Komaeda said as he rubbed at them. Hinata reached over and gently rubbed at them. Komaeda let out a pleased sigh, making Hinata blush. 

“C-Come on. Let’s get you into your kimono.”

____________________

Komaeda was tired for the rest of the day. Hinata couldn’t help finding it cute. It was dark out now and they had just finished eating dinner. The kitsune was nodding off as he ate and Hinata had to make sure he didn’t fall asleep into his food. 

“Alright. Come on, let’s get you to bed,” Hinata said once he had cleaned the dishes. Komaeda let out a squeal of defiance, looking perfectly content to stay with his head on the table. Hinata sighed as he attempted to move him. He only succeeded in making Komaeda rest his face on Hinata’s chest instead of the table. 

“You know, if I were a girl this would be very inappropriate,” Hinata sighed as the kitsune nuzzled closer. He wrapped his arms around him and attempted to haul him up. The flash of light returned and Komaeda was in his fox form, whining as he desperately clung on to Hinata’s chest. 

“F-Fine. I’ll carry you,” Hinata sighed as he wrapped his arms around the fox to make sure he didn’t fall. The small fox let out a sigh of relief as Hinata begrudgingly carried Komaeda to their room. He didn’t want to admit how cute he found Komaeda. 

As soon as he was placed on the bed, he shifted back into his human form. He let out a pleased noise as he nuzzled into the bed, his tail wagging slowly. Hinata smiled down at him. 

The kitsune opened his eyes and looked at him. He rolled over onto his back and opened his arms wide. Hinata felt his face heat up as he realized what the kitsune wanted. 

Hinata climbed into the bed and wrapped his arms around the kitsune. Komaeda giggled happily as Hinata pulled him close. The student knew his face must be bright red. 

“Hinata-Kun is so nice,” Komaeda sighed into Hinata’s chest. Hinata huffed at that. 

“No, you just think you don’t deserve basic kindness,” Hinata mumbled into the kitsune’s hair. The feeling of Komaeda’s soft ears against his face made a warmth spread through his chest. 

“No. Hinata-Kun is just kind. I really like you, Hinata-Kun,” Komaeda mumbled. Hinata felt the warmth spread more. He was about to ask Komaeda what he meant by that, but it was too late. The kitsune was already fast asleep. 

Hinata smiled as he felt the gentle purr coming from him. He pulled Komaeda as close to him as possible. The kitsune’s tail wrapped around Hinata’s legs and his purr only got louder. 

Hinata felt exhaustion start to weigh him down as well. As he drifted off to sleep with Komaeda in his arms, he hoped that the kitsune liked him as more than a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meshi has obtained another hope fragment!  
> 


	17. Chapter 17

Hinata let out a long sigh. It was one of his days with no classes which was a relief. He knew he would have to study later but it was nice to relax for now.

Komaeda was in his fox form, trying to dig a hole in the couch. Hinata was keeping a close eye on him to make sure he didn’t actually dig a hole through it. The kitsune seemed pretty determined to find out what was inside the couch. 

“Why are you even doing that?” Hinata asked. Komaeda stopped in his digging and looked at him. With a flash of light, he was back in his human form. 

“I want to make a den,” Komaeda stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.  
Hinata just sighed and patted his lap. Komaeda let out a happy squeal as he took his place on the student’s lap. 

Hinata had learned that Komaeda seemed to enjoy being on his lap. Hinata still couldn’t help feeling flustered every time Komaeda did it though. The kitsune was already purring, but he began purring louder when he grabbed Hinata’s fingers and started sucking on them. 

“So, this soothes you?” Hinata asked, referring to the kitsune sucking on his fingers. Komaeda gave a nod and his tail wagged. 

“It helps me calm down and it feels nice,” Komaeda briefly let go of his fingers to explain. Hinata nodded and let him continue. He couldn’t help but find it cute. But it definitely didn’t help him calm his feelings for the kitsune. 

He thought that over time his feelings for Komaeda would go away but instead, they seemed to have strengthened. The white-haired boy had made his life so much better. He honestly didn’t know what he would do if Komaeda weren’t here. He blushed at his intense feelings. He would need to tell Komaeda sooner or later. 

A buzz from Hinata’s pocket made Komaeda let out a yelp. Hinata reached into his pocket to check his phone. It was a text from Harukawa. 

_Big sis: Hey_

_Big sis: Was thinking of going to get coffee tomorrow. Do you want to come along_

_Big sis: You’ll have to come with me shopping though. There’s a new gun I wanna get_

Hinata looked at the kitsune happily lounging in his lap. His ears perked when he realized Hinata was looking at him and he tilted his head. 

“My friend Harukawa wants me to go out with her tomorrow. If she agrees to let you come, would you want to go?” Hinata asked. Komaeda gave an excited nod. Hinata quickly typed into his phone. 

_Hajime: Yeah that sounds cool_

_Hajime: Can I bring a friend? His name is Komaeda. You haven’t met him yet_

_Big sis: He your tutor?_

_Hajime: Uh yeah. How’d you know_

_Big sis: Just a guess. Yeah he can come along. I don’t mind_

“Well, looks like we have plans for tomorrow,” Hinata said as he put his phone back in his pocket. Komaeda’s tail was wagging in excitement. 

“What’s Harukawa like?” The kitsune asked with a tilt of his head. Hinata hummed. He had known Harukawa for so long that it was hard to know where to start. 

“Well, she has a hard time with new people. She may be a bit cold towards you at first, but don’t worry she’s nice when you get to know her,” Hinata said. Komaeda nodded with a smile. 

“Anyone who’s friends with Hinata-Kun can’t be a bad person!” Komaeda exclaimed. Hinata huffed. The kitsune often put him on a pedestal that he felt was undeserved. He wanted to know why Komaeda thought the way he did, but he was also worried about making the kitsune remember any past trauma. 

“Well, I need to study. Do you mind helping me out?” Hinata asked. Komaeda immediately got out of Hinata’s lap and ran into his bedroom. _Guess that answers my question._

As he walked toward his room, he wondered if he would ever know anything about the kitsune’s past. 

____________________

Snow was slowly falling as Hinata and Komaeda approached the meetup spot. Harukawa wanted to get her weapon before going out to get coffee so they were meeting up close to the store selling it. Komaeda was sticking close to Hinata, holding onto his sleeve. 

Hinata spotted Harukawa waiting patiently outside the store entrance and waved at her. Hinata jogged up to her, Komaeda still holding on to his sleeve. 

“Hey. Sorry to keep you waiting,” Hinata chuckled. Harukawa just gave a shake of her head and looked at Komaeda. The kitsune seemed to be uncomfortable. 

“Harukawa Maki,” she said simply. Komaeda cautiously spoke his own name and gave a small bow. Hinata put his hand on the kitsune’s shoulder. 

“It’s alright. I know her stare is intimidating, but she won’t hurt you,” Hinata whispered to him. Komaeda gave a small nod, but he still clung to Hinata’s sleeve. 

“So, you’re teaching Hinata, right? It’s about time he stopped being stubborn and got someone to help him with his schoolwork,” Harukawa huffed. Hinata shot a glare at her, but Komaeda let out a small giggle. 

“Well, let’s get going. My place is right by here so I’ll drop it off before we get coffee,” Harukawa said as she entered the store. Hinata entered in after her. As soon, as he walked in he stopped in his tracks. 

“M-Maybe Komaeda and I should wait outside,” Hinata stumbled over his words. But it’s not like it mattered. It was already too late. 

Komaeda was standing beside him, his eyes wide in fear. His eyes darted around the store. The taxidermy foxes were what he seemed to focus on most. 

“K-Komaeda come on let’s-,” before he could continue, the kitsune bolted out of the store. Hinata immediately ran after him, keeping his eyes on the kitsune as he bolted. Hinata was surprised at how fast he was. 

“K-Komaeda stop!” Hinata said as he panted. Yet, Komaeda kept running. Hinata kept chasing, but suddenly let out a yelp as he tripped and fell onto the ground. 

He groaned at the pain coming from his arms. He must have scraped them in the fall. He felt someone shaking him gently. His eyes opened immediately and he let out a sigh of relief to see Komaeda there.

“Thanks for stopping,” Hinata mumbled. Komaeda let out a whine. His eyes were still wide and hunted. Hinata got up, trying to ignore the sting in his arms. “Sorry. I didn’t know it was a store for hunters.”

Komaeda was silent. His arms were wrapped around himself, gray eyes wide. They seemed… different. Slightly crazed. 

“I should’ve known. Of course. She was right. This is how it is,” Komaeda let out a raspy laugh. Hinata felt a chill go through him. The laugh Komaeda let out was different from his normal one. It sounded wrong. Twisted. 

“Of course! Nothing good can ever happen to something like me! It’s all exactly like she said. I’ll be hunted down. I’ll be tortured. I’ll be propped up like a trophy,” Komaeda was clutching at his hair, his eyes swirling. 

“K-Komaeda, calm down,” Hinata gently reached out and placed a hand on Komaeda’s arm, only to be pushed away. 

“Don’t touch me!” Komaeda yowled. Hinata immediately stepped back. Komaeda had never yelled at him before. 

“Just… Stay back,” Komaeda whispered, his voice breaking as he spoke. Hinata realized that the kitsune was shaking. His whole body was wracked with shivers. 

“Komaeda. It’s okay. No one is going to hurt you,” Hinata put up his hands. 

“Then what was in that store?” Komaeda snarled. He looked like he was ready to bolt at any second, his entire body tense. 

“Those are hunters. No one you’ve met are hunters. Harukawa just likes weapons,” Hinata spoke slowly, trying to calm the kitsune down. It felt like he was talking to a completely different person. Komaeda let out another twisted laugh. 

“How convenient! There’s no need to lie anymore, Hinata-Kun. You can kill me. Though I don’t see why you would prop me up. Having to look at something so hideous must truly be a nightmare,” Komaeda rasped. 

“Komaeda!” Hinata yelled, gritting his teeth. Komaeda startled, eyes wide. “I’m not going to hurt you! Why the hell would I keep you in my house for so long if I just wanted to kill you?”

Komaeda’s eyes darted down to Hinata’s clenched fists. Hinata took a deep breath. He knew he had to calm down. He would only scare Komaeda away if he kept acting like this. 

“No one wants to hurt you. No one except me even knows you're a kitsune. I… I would never hurt you. Not after everything you’ve done to help me,” Hinata said. Komaeda was silent. 

“I’ll make sure nothing happens to you,” Hinata said. Komaeda’s eyes lost some of their crazed edge. They still seemed to be scared, but not as much. 

“Komaeda… Let’s go home,” Hinata spoke as he approached the kitsune slowly. Komaeda didn’t move. Even when Hinata grabbed his hand, he didn’t move. 

“Let’s go home. We can relax there,” Hinata whispered. Komaeda was completely still for a bit longer before nodding. Hinata sighed in relief. He could still feel the kitsune trembling. 

_____________________

_Hajime: Sorry Harukawa. Komaeda got really scared so I’m taking him home_

_Big sis: it’s alright. Sorry, I didn’t know he was afraid of guns_

_Hajime: I think he just didn’t like all the animals in there_

_Big sis: ah I see_

_Big sis: I’m not a fan either. Sorry for bringing you two_

_Hajime: don’t worry about it_

_Big sis: Be careful, Hinata_

_Hajime: Huh? Why?_

_Big sis: Just be careful_

______________________

Hinata was waiting for the tea to finish. Komaeda was sitting silently on the couch, staring at nothing. He could see the kitsune shaking from where he was standing. As soon as the tea was finished he poured it into a cup and walked to the couch. 

“Here. It should help you calm down a bit,” Hinata said, gently. Komaeda attempted to take the cup, but his hands were shaking too much. He let out a whine. 

“I-It’s okay. I’ll help you drink,” Hinata stuttered. He lifted the cup to Komaeda’s lips and let him drink in tiny sips. Komaeda eagerly drank, his eyes still slightly scared. 

“There you go,” Hinata whispered when the drink was gone. Komaeda’s trembling had stopped, the warm drink seeming to help him relax. 

“I’m sorry, Hinata-Kun,” Komaeda said. His ears were pressed against his head and his tail was wrapped tightly around himself. Hinata reached out to pet between his ears. 

“It’s okay. I would probably react the same way,” Hinata said. Komaeda went quiet. 

“Komaeda… What were you talking about back there? Who’s ‘she’?” Hinata asked the question that was plaguing his mind. Komaeda stayed silent, not answering the question. Hinata sighed. 

“If you don’t want to talk about it, it’s okay. But I’d like to know at some point,” Hinata said. Still, there was no response. Hinata sighed and sat down next to the kitsune, dragging him into his lap. He pulled Komaeda against him, pressing the kitsune’s face against his chest. 

“It’s okay. Nothing is going to hurt you. I’ll protect you no matter what,” Hinata whispered. He heard faint sniffling and felt his shirt get wet. Komaeda was crying. Hinata gently stroked the kitsune’s hair. 

“I’m scared, Hinata-Kun. I’m scared of it all. Everything is so new,” Komaeda whimpered. Hinata shushed him as he rocked him slightly in his arms. 

“It’s okay. It’s all going to be okay,” Hinata whispered. Komaeda seemed so much smaller when he was like this, curled up and scared. He let out a small sneeze. 

“I think I’m getting sick,” Komaeda sniffled. 

“Then I’ll take care of you while you’re sick.”

“What if I get lost?”

“Then I’ll find you.”

“What if I hurt you?”

“Then I’ll forgive you.”

Komaeda sneezed again. His tears had stopped, but he was still sniffling. He rubbed his face against Hinata’s chest. 

“You’re being honest, right?” Komaeda asked. Hinata nodded at him. He knew that if anything happened to Komaeda he would be heartbroken. So he would just have to protect him.

“You’re the only thing that isn’t scary, Hinata-Kun,” Komaeda mumbled. Hinata only pulled him closer. 

“We’ll confront the scary things together. Always,” Hinata said. Komaeda let out a relieved sigh and nuzzled closer. 

“Always be here with me, Hinata-Kun.”

“I will. I promise.”

Even with those words, Hinata found himself wondering which was the real Komaeda: the sweet and kind one sitting on his lap or the crazed and psychotic one he met earlier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little nap on the Komaeda pillow  
> 


	18. Chapter 18

The first thing that woke Hinata up was the warmth. 

He opened his eyes with a groan. There was no reason for him to feel this hot. He looked down and saw Komaeda clinging to him as usual. The kitsune’s ears were twitching, uncomfortably.

Hinata looked at the time and groaned when he saw it was three AM. That was way too early. But he was still burning up. Komaeda whined as Hinata moved. 

Hinata’s eyes widened when he realized the heat was coming from Komaeda. The kitsune was usually pretty cold, not burning hot. Hinata put his hand on the kitsune’s forehead and hissed through his teeth when he felt how hot it was. 

“Komaeda. Wake up,” Hinata gently shook the kitsune. Komaeda whined but opened his eyes. They were dazed and blurry. 

“Hinata-Kun. It’s cold,” Komaeda whispered against Hinata’s chest. He nuzzled closer, curling up. “Why can’t I get warm?”

“I think you're sick, Komaeda. I need to check so can you get up?” Hinata asked. Komaeda whimpered but obediently rolled onto his back. 

“I know I’m a sick person, Hinata-Kun. I don’t know why you need to check,” Komaeda slurred. Hinata sighed. At least he knew the kitsune’s personality was still intact. 

Hinata once again put his hand on Komaeda’s head. The kitsune scrunched up his face. There was no mistaking it. Komaeda had a fever. 

“Tell me how you’re feeling,” Hinata said, gently. Komaeda whined, his ears pressed against his head. 

“Gross,” he mumbled. That didn’t answer Hinata’s question, but the kitsune’s sniffles did. 

“Is your nose stuffed up?” Hinata asked. Komaeda gave a small nod and a whine. “Okay. I’ll be right back.”

Komaeda let out another whine as Hinata walked into the bathroom. He kept the door open so the kitsune could still see him. He rummaged through the cabinets until he found cold medicine. He filled a small cup with water and returned to the bed. 

“Okay. I need you to swallow these okay?” Hinata whispered. Komaeda looked at the pills in his hand in confusion. 

“Do I eat them?” Komaeda tilted his head only to let out a small sneeze. Hinata shook his head. 

“Don’t bite them. Just swallow them with water,” Hinata explained, handing the cup of water over. Komaeda obediently took the pills and water. He struggled in swallowing, but he did. 

“Good job. You can go back to sleep now. I guess I’ll be taking care of you tomorrow,” Hinata said. The kitsune gave a lazy nod, clearly still sleepy. He opened his arms wide. 

“It’s best if we don’t Komaeda,” Hinata said. Komaeda let out a loud whine, sleepiness making him more demanding. The display almost made Hinata give in. “I could get sick too.”

“You can get sick?” Komaeda tilted his head. His arms had gone back to laying by his side. “How can Hinata-Kun get sick?”

“You have a cold. It can pass through contact,” Hinata explained. He didn’t expect the kitsune to not even know that. Komaeda grumbled but obediently reached for the extra pillow. 

“As long as I don’t touch you, then it’ll be fine right?” Komaeda asked. Hinata was surprised. Komaeda seemed worried about Hinata having to sleep anywhere else. He smiled at his consideration. 

“Yeah. Come on. Let’s get some sleep.”

_________________________

When Hinata woke up again it was already nine. He turned to look at Komaeda. The kitsune was clutching the pillow tight, but his brow was furrowed and his ears were twitching. So he was still uncomfortable. 

Hinata slowly got out of bed to make sure he didn’t wake the kitsune. Komaeda’s only response was to grumble and curl up tighter. Hinata made sure to make as little sound as possible as he left the room. 

He didn’t know what to do. Ever since he was a kid, he barely got sick and when he did it was always minor. But Komaeda seemed to be really uncomfortable. 

He sighed. He couldn’t just sit there and do nothing. He took out his phone, scrolled through his contacts, and called. It took a few moments for her to answer. 

“Hinata-Kun? Why’re you calling me so early?” Nanami’s tired voice came from the other side. Hinata sighed in relief. He expected her to not pick up. 

“Hey, Nanami. Sorry for waking you. Do you know how to help someone with a bad cold?” Hinata asked. He didn’t want to waste any time. The line was silent for a bit before she responded. 

“Yeah. Why do you want to know? You don’t sound sick,” Nanami mumbled. Hinata cursed himself. He probably should have come up with a story. 

“Komaeda is sick,” Hinata decided to tell the truth. Nanami was quiet some more. 

“Okay. What exactly do you want to know?” Nanami asked. Hinata sighed in relief. He could always rely on Nanami to be there. 

“Well I already gave him some medicine but he still seems uncomfortable. Is there anything else I can do?” Hinata asked. Nanami hummed. 

“When I’m sick, warm foods usually help. Especially things like soup. Also, make sure he drinks lots of water. If he has a stuffy nose, you can use a humidifier to get some moisture in the air,” Nanami listed off. Hinata wrote all the information in a small notepad. 

“Thanks so much, Nanami! I owe you for this,” Hinata thanked. Nanami gave a lazy “you’re welcome” over the phone before hanging up. Hinata immediately headed to the kitchen to get started on making some soup. 

About halfway through he heard the sound of feet behind him. He turned around to see Komaeda holding on to the wall for support as he wandered close. 

“Komaeda! What’re you doing? You should be in bed,” Hinata said as he walked towards him. Komaeda looked at him with a dazed expression. 

“I wanted to make sure you were here, Hinata-Kun,” Komaeda murmured. Hinata let out an exasperated sigh. 

“Well, I’m here. Come on. Let’s get you back to bed,” Hinata put a hand on the kitsune’s back as he led him back to their room. Komaeda was stumbling slightly, sniffling as he walked. He helped Komaeda get settled into bed and pulled the covers up over him. 

“You shouldn’t have to care for me, Hinata-Kun,” Komaeda sniffled. Hinata looked down at the kitsune. He looked so much smaller when he was like this. 

“Well I want to,” Hinata said. Komaeda’s dazed eyes widened slightly but he just grumbled. Hinata sighed. It would take a lot more for Komaeda to ever accept that Hinata cared about him. 

When he returned to the kitchen, he was happy to see that the soup was done. He poured the soup into a small bowl. Komaeda didn’t eat much and he guessed that being sick would only make him eat less. He grabbed a bottle of water before returning to their room. 

Komaeda was exactly how he left him. His nose twitched as he smelled the soup. Hinata helped him into a sitting position. 

“This should help you feel a bit better,” Hinata said as settled on the bed. He was already blushing. This was going to be so embarrassing. 

He held out a spoonful of soup to Komaeda. Hinata expected some sort of hesitation or embarrassment, but Komaeda immediately opened his mouth and ate. Hinata pouted. He couldn’t understand how Komaeda couldn't feel embarrassed by this situation. 

The kitsune obediently ate as Hinata held up the spoonfuls. He tried to hide his blush as much as he could, but Komaeda didn’t even seem to notice. He sighed in relief when all the soup was gone. 

“Make sure you drink all of this okay?” Hinata said as he handed the water to Komaeda. Komaeda gave a lazy nod as he took a small sip. Hinata nodded in approval. He suddenly remembered the humidifier. He walked over to his desk and rummaged through his drawers until he found it. 

Komaeda tilted his head as he watched Hinata go to the bathroom to fill up the humidifier and return. When he plugged it in, Komaeda’s eyes widened as he watched the steam come out. Hinata couldn’t help but laugh at how shocked the kitsune looked. 

“What’s it doing?” Komaeda asked, his tail wagging slightly. He seemed to be only focusing on the small machine. 

“It’s a humidifier. I don’t really know how it works but it turns water into mist. It’ll help you feel better,” Hinata said as he walked back to the bed. Komaeda’s gray eyes looked back at Hinata. 

“You really are kind, Hinata-Kun,” Komaeda mumbled. Hinata huffed. He should be used to Komaeda’s self-esteem issues by now but he wasn’t. 

Hinata thought back to the previous day. He wanted to ask Komaeda questions about what happened, but it was clear that now wasn’t the time. Komaeda needed to be relaxing, not stressing out over what might be a traumatizing past. Komaeda’s eyes remained on Hinata before looking down. 

“Hinata-Kun. Hand,” Komaeda pointed to Hinata’s hand. Hinata looked at Komaeda in confusion before realizing what he was saying. 

“No, you can’t nibble on my fingers. I told you, I can get sick,” Hinata said. Komaeda let out a small whine before he pulled his tail up to his face and began biting on it. “You shouldn’t be doing that either!”

“Hinata-Kun,” Komaeda whined, dragging out the syllables. Hinata sighed. He got up and told Komaeda to stay there. He walked into the kitchen and began rummaging through the pantry. He smiled when he found what he was looking for. 

He took the small box back into their room and gave it to Komaeda. The kitsune tilted his head as he opened the box and pulled one of the items out. 

“They’re lollipops. You can suck on them,” Hinata explained. Komaeda tilted his head and immediately put it in his mouth. “You need to take the wrapper off…”

Komaeda already seemed to realize his mistake as he wrinkled his nose and growled at the lollipop. Hinata laughed at the kitsune’s antics and watched as he successfully took off the wrapper. Komaeda let out a small purr as he put the lollipop in his mouth. 

“Thank you, Hinata-Kun,” Komaeda smiled lazily and his tail wagged. But that wasn’t what Hinata was paying attention to. 

… He really should’ve thought about his own feelings before giving Komaeda those. He could feel a blush rising to his face as the kitsune licked at the treat and let out purrs. His face was slightly flushed from being ill but he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying licking at the lollipop. The entire scene was way more erotic than he thought it would be. He wondered if that would be how Komaeda would react with something else in his mouth. 

“Hinata-Kun?” Komaeda tilted his head. Hinata startled out of his perverted thoughts at the sound of Komaeda’s voice. The kitsune seemed to notice that he was staring at his lips. “Is something wrong?”

“Nope! Everything is fine!” Hinata said, a bit too loudly as he looked away trying desperately to not think about anything sexual. Komaeda was silent for a bit before he spoke. 

“I’m sorry you have to waste your time helping me,” Komaeda whispered. Hinata looked back at the kitsune. He had stopped licking at the lollipop (thank god) and was instead looking at the bedsheets. “You’re having to take care of trash like me. It must be horrible.”

“Will you stop talking like that?” Hinata sighed. The kitsune let out a small whine, his ears pressing against his head. He looked so small like this. “What if I told you I like taking care of you?”

“I don’t see how that would be possible,” Komaeda mumbled. His eyes were shadowed as he refused to look at Hinata. 

“You trust me don’t you?” Hinata decided to ask. Komaeda’s eyes widened at the question. 

“Of course I do, Hinata-Kun,” Komaeda said. 

“Then trust me when I say that I like taking care of you,” Hinata said. Komaeda opened his mouth like he was about to protest before shutting it.

“Komaeda. I know you don’t think so, but I like caring for you. I like having you in my life. So you need to stop apologizing for shit like this,” Hinata said. Komaeda’s eyes showed clear doubt but he gave a small nod. 

“... Thank you, Hinata-Kun,” Komaeda whispered. Hinata blushed. There were moments like these where Komaeda’s eyes were so intense that it made Hinata want to look away. Komaeda’s eyes showed a deep attachment to Hinata and he wasn’t sure how to deal with that information. 

“Now, drink the rest of your water. A-And eat your lollipop I guess,” Hinata stuttered at the end. Komaeda tilted his head. 

“Why are you blushing Hinata-Kun?”

“I’m not! Everything’s fine!”

Komaeda looked at him some more before putting the lollipop back in his mouth. Hinata looked away. This was torture. This was pure torture. 

He really needed to sort out these feelings, god damn it. And maybe jerk off in the bathroom later. 

Definitely the latter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soon  
> 


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before we start, I would like to shoutout the lovely MalaproposMongrel for making some amazing fanart: https://malaproposmongrel.tumblr.com/post/642711759072952320/show-chapter-archive
> 
> Please go check out their stuff their art style is adorable and makes me smile! Thank you so much for taking the time to make this MalaproposMongrel!!!!!!!!!!!

Snow crunched under Hinata’s feet as he walked. It was another cold day and he shivered as the wind blew over him. He was glad that Komaeda had stayed home. 

The kitsune was doing better than he was the previous day, but he was still sick. Hinata knew it would be bad for him to go out so he told him to stay home. To Hinata’s surprise, Komaeda didn’t argue or even seem that disappointed. He had simply taken some books, a blanket, and his lollipops under the bed. 

The behavior was definitely off. Komaeda always seemed excited to go outside and see what human civilization was like. The kitsune was naturally curious and always wanted to learn more. Hinata felt worry tug at him. 

He shook his head. He shouldn’t be worried now. Komaeda was safe at home. He would just have to get through the school day and then hurry home to take care of him. 

Yet he couldn’t help feeling lonely. Walking out of the house with Komaeda just felt right. He felt like the kitsune belonged by his side. He felt himself blush. There was no denying the crush he had at this point. 

As usual, Nanami was waiting for him. Her eyes lifted from her console when she heard him approach. To his surprise, Nanami put her console into her bag. 

“Good morning, Hinata-Kun,” Nanami said. Hinata greeted her back as they started walking towards the university. Nanami still hadn’t taken her game out. 

“Is Komaeda-Kun still sick?” Nanami tilted her head. 

“Yeah. Better than yesterday though,” Hinata said. He still felt the longing to run back to his home and care for the sick kitsune. He felt bad leaving him alone. 

“How long have you two known each other?” Nanami asked. 

“Uh, I’m not really sure. A while,” Hinata said, vaguely. He knew the day he had met Ko but he wasn’t sure if he should say that was the time. “Why are you asking?”

“I’m just curious. I know all of your friends but he came out of nowhere,” Nanami said. Hinata swallowed heavily. Nanami was smart and she had known Hinata since childhood. If anyone could tell when he was lying, it was her. 

“Y-Yeah I get that. I just hired him as my tutor and we happened to get along,” Hinata lied. He didn’t want to lie to any of his friends but he didn’t know what would happen if he told the truth. If he told them that Komaeda is a kitsune then something bad might happen. Kitsunes shouldn’t exist after all. 

Nanami hummed again, her eyes fixed on the distance. Hinata knew she had something she wanted to say but was holding back. Hinata tensed as she looked back at him. 

“Do you like him?” Nanami asked. Hinata tilted his head. 

“Uh, yeah. He’s my friend. Of course, I like him,” Hinata said. Nanami sighed. 

“I don’t mean it like that.” When her words processed in his mind, Hinata became bright red and started stuttering. 

“Wh-Where the hell did you get that from?” Hinata asked. Nanami smiled at him, a knowing look in her eyes. 

“The way you look at him is different. Your face softens and I’ve caught you staring at him a couple of times when we had lunch together. You’re not usually like that,” Nanami said. Hinata sighed and cursed the detective games Nanami played. 

“M-Maybe a little,” Hinata mumbled. The admission only made him blush more. Nanami smiled at him. 

“That’s great, Hinata-Kun,” Nanami said. Hinata felt himself flush more. Having Nanami know was so embarrassing. “I won’t tell him. But I think you should. He seems to like you too.”

“How would you know that? You've only met him once,” Hinata retorted as he tried to hide his blush. Nanami hummed. 

“That may be true, but he’s really obvious. You can see it in his eyes every time he looks at you… I think,” Nanami let out a yawn when she was finished speaking. 

Hinata sighed. He wanted to tell Komaeda, but there was a problem. Komaeda looked up to him. Komaeda saw him as someone deserving of respect when he was just a normal person. Hinata felt like if he told Komaeda his feelings, the kitsune would agree to be in a relationship even if he didn’t like Hinata in the same way.

He sighed again. Having a crush on a kitsune was proving to be a challenge. 

______________________

“I’m home, Komaeda!” Hinata called into the house as he took his jacket off. As usual, there were the faint sounds of Komaeda getting out from under the bed before he came running. 

Komaeda skidded to a halt in front of Hinata. His hands were twitching at his sides. Hinata smiled at him. He was trying to stop himself from hugging Hinata. 

“Thank you, Komaeda. You should be better by tomorrow so we can hug a lot then,” Hinata smiled. Komaeda made an excited noise at the idea, his tail wagging. 

Hinata quickly made the both of them sandwiches, Komaeda staring at him the whole time. He had gotten used to the kitsune’s gaze always being on him. Komaeda purred when Hinata gave him his food as if Hinata feeding him was the best thing to ever happen to him. 

_Maybe it is. Maybe I am the best thing he’s ever experienced._

The thought made Hinata’s mind wander to the meeting with Harukawa. Komaeda’s freak out had never left his mind. It was so different from the Komaeda he had known. It must have something rooted in his past. 

“What type of food did you eat before?” Hinata asked as he sat down across from Komaeda. The kitsune was nibbling at his sandwich and his eyes widened a bit at the question. 

“Meat and fruit mostly,” Komaeda said. Hinata hummed. The answer was kind of vague but it was better than nothing. He didn’t want to overwhelm the kitsune by asking about his trauma. He felt like slowly leading into the big questions would work the most. 

“Did you have any friends before me?” Hinata asked. Komaeda shook his head. 

“Hinata-Kun is the first person to not be repulsed by me,” Komaeda stated. Hinata felt a pang of sadness go through him. 

“Well, Nanami seems to like you. So does Mioda. Maybe you can be friends with them,” Hinata suggested. He expected Komaeda to be excited at the idea, but his eyes narrowed slightly. 

“Is that what Hinata-Kun wants?” Komaeda whispered. Hinata tilted his head. This was… odd. Komaeda seemed happy talking with everyone when he first met them. 

“N-Not if you don’t want to,” Hinata said. Komaeda nodded and returned to eating. Hinata felt worry curl in his stomach. Komaeda’s behavior was strange. Incredibly strange. 

“Do you want to go anywhere when you feel better?” Hinata asked. Komaeda tensed up slightly. 

“Only if Hinata-Kun wants to go somewhere with me,” Komaeda said. Hinata’s eyes narrowed. 

“Why are you talking like that? I thought you’d be excited to go out,” Hinata asked. Komaeda didn’t respond. Instead, his ears pressed against his head. 

“I apologize if I’ve upset you, Hinata-Kun.” Hinata sighed. That wasn’t the answer he wanted. However, a theory was developing in his mind. 

“How about we go see Tanaka-Kun. You seemed to like him,” Hinata said. Once again, Komaeda tensed. The pieces clicked in Hinata’s mind. 

“Are you scared of other people, Komaeda?” Hinata asked. The kitsune was quiet. He wouldn’t look Hinata in the eye. “So that’s what it is.”

“I’m not scared of them. If they want to hurt me then it is in their right to do so,” Komaeda stated. Hinata glared at the kitsune. 

“No one is going to hurt you. We’ve been over this,” Hinata sighed. Komaeda still refused to look him in the eyes. 

“Ah. Perhaps they want my luck then. I could use my power on them and they will be happy with me, right?” Komaeda asked. Hinata noticed that the kitsune was shaking. 

“No. Using your power makes bad things happen to you.”

“Nothing that happens to me matters,” Komaeda’s voice was monotone as he spoke. Hinata felt a chill go up his spine. 

“Trash like me lives only to be used by others. I am a nuisance whose only purpose is taking up space. If I dropped dead nothing would change,” Komaeda droned on. He spoke as if he was speaking off a script or repeating someone else’s words. 

“Stop it, Komaeda,” Hinata glared. He didn’t want to hear any more of it. 

“I’m only speaking the truth Hinata-Kun. Or do you deny that truth? I have no right to argue with you, but if you think of me as anything other than a bug then you are wrong,” Komaeda kept talking. Hinata clenched his fist. Komaeda’s gaze darted to his hands. 

“Ah. Is Hinata-Kun planning on hitting me? That’s okay! If it makes you feel better then you can torture me,” Komaeda laughed. “I can be your stress relief.”

“Why the fuck are you talking like that?! Why are you being like this?! I never asked for a punching bag! What did I do to make you think that I would do that to you?!” Hinata stood up and yelled. Komaeda flinched from the noise. His eyes widened when Hinata finished. 

“I never said you did anything. Hinata-Kun has only ever been kind to me,” Komaeda said. 

“It doesn’t matter. You are talking to me like I’m gonna hurt you. Do you think I brought you into my home just to use you?” Hinata asked. Komaeda was silent. He was looking away. Hinata’s fists unclenched at his sides. 

“I see… So that’s what you think of me.” Without any other words, Hinata walked to his room. Komaeda didn’t move from his spot. 

Hinata shut the door and leaned against it. He felt tears falling from his eyes. Why was this happening? Everything was going fine. They were happy. 

_But he thought I only wanted to use him._

Hinata collapsed on his bed. He shut his brain off. There was no point in thinking about anything. He should’ve known better. He should’ve known that there was no one out there that would ever love him. 

He didn’t leave his room. He just watched his clock tick on. He didn’t leave to go make dinner. He didn’t leave when it got late and Komaeda still hadn’t come to bed. 

He fell asleep, cold and alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 


	20. Chapter 20

That morning, Hinata woke up before his alarm. 

He blinked his eyes open and looked towards the clock. It read 4:00 AM. Hinata groaned and rolled over. The feeling of empty space beside him made everything flood back. 

Komaeda still wasn’t in bed. 

Hinata shot up out of his bed. His eyes quickly scanned his room. Nothing. Komaeda wasn’t here. He immediately jumped out of his bed and searched the house. 

The living room, kitchen, bathrooms, and his parents’ bedroom were all empty. Hinata felt his breaths coming faster and faster. Could Komaeda have run away?

_It’s all my fault._

The thoughts made tears well up in his eyes. He shouldn’t have yelled at him. He shouldn’t have stormed away. It was all his fault. 

A flash of movement made his eyes dart to the back door. Immediately, relief flooded his body so quickly that he felt like his legs were going to give out under him. 

Komaeda was sitting outside, hugging his knees. Hinata took a moment to steady his breathing. Komaeda was here. Everything was fine. 

He took cautious steps towards the door and slowly pulled it open. Komaeda didn’t respond. His ears were pressed against his head and his tail was wrapped around himself. Hinata sat down next to the kitsune and looked at him. 

His gray eyes were fixed on the distance as if he were looking at something that Hinata couldn’t see. Komaeda still didn’t seem to have noticed him. 

“Komaeda?” Hinata whispered. Komaeda jerked slightly and slowly turned his head to look at Hinata. 

“Hinata-Kun?” Komaeda whispered. 

“Yeah. It’s me. What’re you doing out here?” Hinata asked. Komaeda’s gaze returned to looking at the forest. 

“I tried leaving. I thought you’d be better off without me. But I couldn’t do it. I truly am pathetic,” Komaeda laughed, but there was no humor in it. 

“Well, I’m glad you didn’t,” Hinata said. Komaeda looked at him again. 

“Why? I hurt you. That’s all I do,” Komaeda whispered. Hinata shook his head. 

“Yeah… It hurt. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t hurt you. If you left I… I don’t know what I would do,” Hinata said. Komaeda was silent for a moment before responding. 

“I don’t understand… I don’t understand anything,” Komaeda sighed. His ears were still pressed against his head. 

“What don’t you understand?” Hinata asked as he reached out and took Komaeda’s hand. The kitsune tensed before he relaxed. 

“You. Everything around me. I don’t understand any of it. I feel like everything she said was right,” Komaeda whispered. Hinata squeezed his hand lightly. 

“It’s okay if you don’t understand. I’ll be here to teach you,” Hinata said, smiling gently. Komaeda’s eyes looked watery for a second before he rested his cheek against Hinata’s shoulder. Hinata felt heat flood to his face. 

They stayed that way, silent but comfortable. Yet, one thought kept pricking at Hinata’s mind. He didn’t want to ruin this moment, but he just had to know. 

“Komaeda… Did you really think I just wanted to use you?” Hinata asked. Komaeda nuzzled closer and fiddled with his tail. 

“I… I’m not sure. Hinata-Kun has always been so kind. I want to believe that it’s just who you are. But a part of me always said that you wouldn’t do anything for me without a reason. Without wanting something,” Komaeda explained. Hinata felt himself relax slightly. That was something he could work with. 

“Let’s go inside. It’s cold,” Hinata said as he stood up. Komaeda looked up at him, hesitation clear on his face. 

“Where will I sleep?” He asked. Hinata could tell that the argument was still hanging over the kitsune’s head. Hinata reached out his hand. 

“With me. Obviously.”

Komaeda looked at the hand with a concerned expression before taking it and allowing himself to be dragged to his feet. Hinata didn’t let go of the kitsune’s hand as he led them to their room. 

Komaeda crawled on the bed, looking at Hinata to make sure it was okay. Hinata crawled in with him and pulled the kitsune to his chest. Komaeda let out a startled noise but he relaxed into the embrace. 

“Tomorrow you can stay here while I go to school if you want. But when I get home I really want to take you somewhere. Just the two of us,” Hinata whispered. Komaeda gave a small nod against his chest. 

“How are you feeling? Do you feel sick anymore?” Hinata whispered. Even if Komaeda said he was still feeling sick, Hinata wouldn’t let go. Komaeda shook his head. 

“Hinata-Kun took very good care of me,” Komaeda whispered. Hinata smiled as he ran his fingers through the kitsune’s hair, lightly stroking his ears. Komaeda let out a pleased hum. 

Hinata fell asleep to the sounds of Komaeda’s faint purring. 

____________________

Classes felt like they were ten times longer than normal. Hinata couldn’t help being distracted. He wanted to get home as soon as possible to see Komaeda. 

His friends seemed to notice his odd behavior as well. They didn’t invite him to lunch or ask questions. They knew that when Hinata had something on his mind, it would be the only thing he could focus on. 

As soon as classes ended Hinata ran back home. He knew he should be careful so he didn’t slip and get hurt, but he couldn’t help himself. He needed to get home as soon as possible. 

Hinata quickly threw open the door and ran inside. He called out to the house and listened as he could hear the sounds of Komaeda coming out from under the bed and running to greet him. 

Hinata smiled when he saw that Komaeda was already dressed to go out. Hinata gave the kitsune a hug which made him squeak and cautiously hug back. 

“Good job, Komaeda. Come on, let’s get going,” Hinata whispered as he grabbed the kitsune’s hand and took him outside. As they walked, Komaeda seemed nervous, his eyes flitting around. Hinata knew he was nervous about seeing other people. 

When they reached their destination, Komaeda’s eyes widened. Hinata knew this area existed, but he never visited. Especially during winter. The large pond lay frozen with trees surrounding it. The frozen pond was surprisingly beautiful, the ice seemingly shimmering. 

“Have you ever been here before?” Hinata asked, even though he knew the answer. Komaeda’s eyes were wide with wonder as he stared at everything in sight. Suddenly, Komaeda sprinted towards the pond. 

Hinata smiled as he saw Komaeda get on his hands and knees near the pond and look at it. Hinata sat down next to him and watched as the kitsune tapped at the ice and tilted his head. 

“I knew that most people would avoid this place during winter. When it’s warmer, we should come here to swim,” Hinata suggested. Komaeda still seemed transfixed by the ice. 

Hinata specifically chose the pond because he knew no one would be there. He wanted a place that felt natural to Komaeda, so nature seemed like his best bet. It seemed like he was right based on how excited Komaeda looked. 

“I’ve read about this in your books, but I wasn’t sure if it was real,” Komaeda whispered, in wonder. Hinata tilted his head. 

“You’ve never seen ice before?” Hinata asked. Komaeda shook his head. Suddenly, the kitsune sat back. 

“Before I was kicked out, I only saw what was in the shrine,” Komaeda whispered. 

“Kicked out?” Hinata asked before shaking his head. He took Komaeda here to get away from that topic, not make him more stressed. Komaeda seemed to notice his struggle. 

“It’s okay. You deserve to know,” Komaeda whispered. Hinata’s eyes widened as he looked at the kitsune. Komaeda took a deep breath. 

“I used to live in an abandoned shrine with other kitsune. I was the lowest rank. But I was treated differently. Our leader was a nine-tailed kitsune named Enoshima. She was a beautiful gray fox with a way with words. She always kept me close to her,” Komaeda began. 

“Were you born in the shrine?” Hinata couldn’t help but ask. Komaeda’s eyes seemed distant. 

“I… I don’t know,” Komaeda whispered. Hinata tilted his head. “I… I don’t remember being young. I don’t remember having parents or siblings. My earliest memory is waking up to Enoshima looking at me. I was only a year younger than I am now.”

Hinata looked at Komaeda in shock. Amnesia? It seemed almost unbelievable. 

“Enoshima kept me close to her, even though I was the lowest rank in the shrine. She constantly told me this. She said that it was dangerous outside. That I would be hunted down and killed,” Komaeda was shaking slightly. Hinata grabbed the kitsune’s shaking hand.

“I… I believed her. After all, she and Kamukura were the only ones I was allowed to talk to. The only way I was allowed to talk to the other kitsune was if Enoshima was there and they asked me something,” Komaeda continued. Hinata felt anger boiling in his stomach. That kitsune, Enoshima, was at fault for all of Komaeda’s strange actions. 

“Who’s Kamukura?” Hinata asked. He expected the kitsune to look just as nervous to talk about him, but Komaeda’s eyes brightened a bit. 

“He was amazing. A silver nine-tailed fox with red eyes. He was good at everything he did. He usually ignored me, but sometimes he would allow me to speak to him,” Komaeda said. The way he spoke was almost reverent. Hinata felt jealousy spark in his heart. Komaeda seemed to notice. 

“But I never felt as close to him as I do to you, Hinata-Kun,” Komaeda squeezed Hinata’s hand to reassure him. Hinata blushed and squeezed back. 

“I mainly served Enoshima. I fetched her things and listened to her speak. I couldn’t stand her. But she was the only one I could talk to freely. The only times I was allowed to be away from her was if she was leaving the shrine. When that happened, I was entrusted to Kamukura,” Komaeda continued. Hinata huffed. It sounded like Komaeda was being treated like a pet to Enoshima. 

“However, even in the shrine, I was useless. Enoshima told me to use my powers to help her and I did. But when the bad luck came to hurt me, I was punished. Enoshima would always bite me or claw me,” Komaeda lifted his pant leg to show Hinata a long scar along his thigh. Hinata clenched his fists. He had never hated someone more than he did now. 

“One day, I ended up ruining some of Enoshima’s possessions because of my bad luck. I’ve never seen her angrier than she was then. She kicked me over and over and before I knew it, I had blacked out. When I woke up, I was outside,” Komaeda shivered at the memory, his gray eyes wide. 

“I-I immediately panicked. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know anything. I didn’t know what trees were or snow was. All I knew was that I was in danger. I was right outside the shrine but I knew I wouldn’t be let in. So I ran,” Komaeda’s breathing was coming quicker and quicker. 

“Komaeda, it’s okay. Everything’s okay. Just breathe,” Hinata said, but that didn’t seem to help. The kitsune’s breaths were still coming quickly. Without thinking, Hinata pulled the kitsune into his lap and hugged him tightly. 

Komaeda stiffened up, but his breathing began to slow down. He nuzzled closer to Hinata’s chest. He was still shaking slightly, but he had calmed down. 

“I… I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know where to find food or how to make a den. I didn’t know anything. Then I found you,” Komaeda sighed. 

“I found you… And you were so kind.”

Hinata held the kitsune as tightly as he could. He felt angry, protective, and loving all at once. He loosened his grip so Komaeda could look into his eyes. 

“You’re safe with me. I’ll make sure nothing like that happens again. You don’t have to worry about food, abandonment, or getting hurt ever again,” Hinata said and he meant every word. He swore to himself that he would never allow Komaeda to go through anything similar again. 

Tears began to stream down Komaeda’s face. The kitsune sniffled and tried to stop them from falling. Hinata reached out and gently brushed the tears away. 

“I’ve got you. It’s all going to be okay,” Hinata whispered as he pulled the kitsune close again. He could hear Komaeda sniffling slightly and he pulled him as close as possible. 

He would help Komaeda. He would get him to understand that he’s no longer in danger. That no one will hurt him. 

He would make sure Komaeda felt loved every day for the rest of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meshi won boyfriend rights for the day!  
> 


	21. Chapter 21

“I’m going to be inviting Nanami over.”

Komaeda made a startled sound at the declaration. A day had passed since Hinata had learned about Komaeda’s history and he knew he had to do something. He felt like he needed to help him. The first step was to get rid of his fear of others. 

“Don’t look so scared, Komaeda. You liked Nanami, didn’t you?” Hinata asked when he saw Komaeda’s ears flatten against his head. Komaeda tentatively nodded. “She won’t be here all day. If you get overwhelmed then you can go to our room okay?”

Komaeda still looked reluctant but he nodded. Hinata petted him as a reward and Komaeda let out a happy noise. The kitsune got up and ran into their room to get changed into his disguise as Hinata pulled out his phone. 

_Hajime: Hey Nanami. Do you wanna come over and hang out with Komaeda and me?_

_Gaymer: Sure when can I come_

_Hajime: As soon as you want._

_Gaymer: I’ll bring sum games 2_

Hinata smiled down at his phone. It seemed like Nanami had taken a liking for Komaeda. Nanami was calm so he knew she was a good choice to have Komaeda spend time with. 

Hinata looked up from his phone when he heard footsteps. Komaeda had his jacket on but was holding his beanie in his hands. Hinata smiled at him. 

“She’s coming now. You can put the beanie on when she knocks on the door,” Hinata said. Komaeda nodded and quickly took his place beside Hinata. 

Hinata let out a yelp when he felt Komaeda rubbing his cheek against his arm. His face immediately turned bright red as his brain struggled to catch up with the situation. 

“Wh-What’re you doing?” Hinata asked, shakily. Komaeda didn’t respond and instead continued to put his cheek against Hinata. Hinata felt like he couldn’t breathe. 

When Komaeda pulled back he let out a sigh of relief. He watched as Komaeda sniffed the air and let out a disappointed huff. Hinata was going to ask what was going on when Komaeda sat on his lap. 

The kitsune put his head on Hinata’s shoulder, his arms and legs clinging on to him. Hinata’s heart was beating so fast that he was sure that he was going to have a heart attack. Komaeda continued rubbing his face against Hinata. 

The kitsune was slightly shifting as if he was trying to rub his whole body against Hinata. Hinata was going to die. He was going to die right in this spot. 

Hinata took in a deep breath when Komaeda slid off his lap. The kitsune sniffed the air again, but this time he let out a pleased purr. Hinata was sure that he was blushing profusely. 

Komaeda put his head on Hinata’s shoulder, satisfied with whatever he had done. Hinata still felt like his entire body was lit on fire. He had no clue what just happened. 

_Was he getting his scent on me?_

Hinata felt his heart beat faster. The only reason Komaeda would have to scent him was if he didn’t want Nanami’s scent on him. That couldn’t be it, right? There was no way. 

Before Hinata could freak out more, a knock was heard at the door. Komaeda quickly put on his beanie and Hinata walked to the door. Nanami smiled at him when he opened the door but then tilted his head. 

“Why are you so red?” She asked. Hinata sputtered and tried to come up with an excuse, but Nanami didn’t wait. She walked into the house like she owned it. 

Komaeda was clearly nervous, fiddling with his jacket. Nanami called out a greeting and Komaeda shakily responded. Hinata noticed Nanami’s smile falter for a second, her eyes curious. 

“I brought a lot of multiplayer games. I thought we could all play together,” Nanami said as he opened her bag and pulled out a console. Komaeda tilted his head. 

“Multiplayer?” He repeated. Nanami’s eyes widened as she looked at Komaeda, but her breathing sped up in excitement. Nanami always liked explaining games. 

While Nanami excitedly explained what multiplayer was and what games they would be playing, Hinata grabbed some blankets for them all to use. He knew Nanami liked being comfortable when she gamed. 

He could see Komaeda listening intently to every word Nanami said. Hinata smiled in relief. Komaeda’s curiosity could end up helping him get along with others. 

Nanami gave Hinata a thankful smile as he placed the blankets on the couch. She excitedly rummaged through the games she had brought and put one in the console. Hinata didn’t know how she could hook it up to the tv so fast. 

“Why don’t you take your jacket off, Komaeda-Kun?” Nanami asked as she took her coat off and sat on the couch. Hinata flinched. 

“I get cold easily,” Komaeda explained. Nanami nodded in understanding. Hinata held in his sigh of relief. He was happy that the kitsune was so smart. 

Hinata turned off the lights and sat on the couch, making sure Komaeda was seated in the middle so he couldn’t avoid Nanami. Hinata sighed when he saw that Nanami had chosen Super Smash Bros. It was time for him to get beaten up. 

“I’m guessing you haven’t played before. Let me show you,” Nanami had a calm smile on her face as she told Komaeda all the controls. Nanami was already enjoying herself. She always liked introducing others to games. 

Hinata smiled when Komaeda picked Fox. He picked his usual, Incineroar and Nanami chose her usual, Peach. Nanami was excited to start the game and when it started Hinata couldn’t help feeling excited too. 

Surely he could beat a beginner. 

_____________________

He couldn’t beat a beginner. 

As usual, Nanami had dominated the game. That was something he expected. What he didn’t expect was for Komaeda to be surprisingly good. His movements and attacks were precise and quick, something Hinata still hadn’t gotten the hang of. 

After the tenth round, Hinata knew he was pouting. Nanami was excitedly talking to Komaeda about how she plays and asking how Komaeda had gotten it right away. Komaeda’s eyes seemed to sparkle as he answered and asked questions. 

Hinata’s pout went away when he saw how much Komaeda was enjoying himself. The nervousness from when he first saw Nanami was completely gone and was replaced with the eager kitsune Hinata had grown to love. 

Komaeda’s eyes landed on him. The kitsune smiled at him and rubbed his face against his arm. Nanami’s eyes widened and Hinata stuttered and desperately tried to come up with an excuse. 

Komaeda didn’t seem to understand the dilemma he was going through because his grip on Hinata’s arm tightened. A purr began to come from Hinata and he could tell Nanami could hear it. 

“O-Okay! Nanami it’s getting late. You should probably be heading home right?” Hinata said, speaking louder to drown out the purring. Nanami still had a shocked look on her face but she nodded at him. 

Komaeda and Hinata helped her pack up her games and console. Nanami and Komaeda continued to talk the entire time. Hinata was happy to see them getting along, but he could see that Nanami had some things to ask him. 

“Komaeda, I’m going to walk Nanami to the street. Can you stay here?” Hinata asked. Komaeda looked hesitant but he nodded. Nanami and Komaeda said goodbye to each other and they left the house. 

It was silent for a bit, the only noise being the crunch of the snow beneath their feet. Nanami looked at him with a curious look in her eyes. Then she smirked. 

“You two got pretty close,” she remarked. Hinata felt his face heat up. 

“I-It’s not like that! Komaeda is just a physically affectionate person,” Hinata explained. Nanami hummed but it was clear that she didn’t believe him. 

“Komaeda-Kun is a bit odd, isn’t he?” Nanami said. Hinata swallowed heavily and nodded. “He doesn’t know a lot of things. Was he sheltered growing up?”

“I-I don’t know. He doesn’t talk about his past much,” Hinata said as he looked at the ground. He hated lying to Nanami but he had no other choice. 

Nanami’s gaze stayed on him. Hinata felt nervousness curl in his stomach. Nanami knew him so well. She would be able to tell if he was lying. 

“He’s sweet,” Nanami remarked. Hinata nodded. “Do you like him?” 

The sudden question made Hinata stop in his tracks. Nanami stopped as well. Hinata didn’t know what to say. 

“I… I don’t know,” Hinata answered. He was being honest. There was a part of him that felt an overwhelming love for the kitsune. However, there were still times where Komaeda concerned him. He didn’t know how to deal with that. 

“It’s okay not to know… I think,” Nanami said. She had a kind smile on her face and she patted him on the shoulder. “You’ve never liked a boy before, right?”

“Yeah. I haven’t,” Hinata admitted. However, that wasn’t what was bothering him. When he thought of Komaeda many thoughts went through his head and he could barely keep up. 

“Take your time, Hinata-Kun. I’ll be here if you need to talk about it,” Nanami said. She began walking ahead and Hinata knew she had nothing else to say. He watched as she walked, but then she stopped and turned around. 

“You need to tell me the truth sometime, Hinata-Kun.” The simple sentence made Hinata tense up. Nanami said no more. She turned and walked off. 

Hinata took a deep breath. Nanami knew that something was going on. She was right. He couldn’t keep this secret from her. But he didn’t know what else to do. 

He thought of the sad look on Komaeda’s face as he told his story. He thought of how cute Komaeda was when he was excited. He thought of Komaeda’s freak out after he met Harukawa. 

There were so many parts of Komaeda he didn’t understand. Yet, even when he thought of the hard times he could feel a deep affection for the kitsune. He put his hand to his chest and felt it beat. 

It was beating faster every time he thought of the kitsune. He clutched his shirt. He did like him. That was something that wouldn’t change. 

Hinata steeled himself. No matter what happened, he knew he would still love the kitsune. That was something he needed to come to terms with. 

Determination settled in his heart. He would help Komaeda. He would make sure Komaeda knew that he would be cared for. That he wouldn’t be abandoned again. 

He would make Komaeda happy so he could see him smile and laugh every day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meshi is happy that he can nap with his boyfriend!!!  
> 


	22. Chapter 22

The only sounds that filled the house were the scratching of Hinata’s pencil as he worked and the soft noises of Komaeda’s purrs. 

Komaeda had offered to help him with his schoolwork which Hinata immediately begged him for help. Komaeda had a knack for making him understand concepts he couldn’t before. But Hinata was having a hard time concentrating. 

That was because Komaeda had decided to latch on to his right arm. 

The kitsune was happily rubbing his face against Hinata’s bicep and purring. Hinata knew that his face was bright red but he hoped that Komaeda didn’t notice. 

“Hey, Komaeda can you explain this to me?” Hinata asked. The only answer he received was the loud purring of Komaeda. “Komaeda?”

Hinata looked to his right. Komaeda was still rubbing his face against Hinata’s bicep as if he didn’t even hear Hinata. Hinata used his arm to nudge him and Komaeda startled. 

“I-I’m sorry, Hinata-Kun! Were you saying something? How awful of me to-,” before Komaeda could continue his self-deprecation Hinata covered his mouth. 

“It’s fine. I don’t mind. Can you help me with this?” Hinata asked as he pointed out the problem. Komaeda immediately began explaining the concept. As soon as Komaeda was done teaching him, he returned to nuzzling against Hinata’s arm. 

Hinata couldn’t help but feel worried. All day Komaeda had been out of it. Komaeda was usually very observant but all day he had seemed almost dazed. Hinata hoped he wasn’t getting sick again. 

Hinata’s original plan for the day was to have someone else over to get Komaeda used to other people again, but he decided against it. Komaeda would need breaks too. The kitsune seemed to be enjoying the break as his purr was almost deafening. 

“Are you hungry?” Hinata asked as he set his pencil down. He was done with calculus. Komaeda didn’t respond.

Hinata sighed and stood up. Komaeda yelped as he was detached from Hinata’s arm. The kitsune pouted as he looked up at Hinata. 

“I need to make food for us,” Hinata explained, ruffling Komaeda’s hair. The kitsune nodded in understanding but as soon as Hinata walked off he grabbed his hand. 

Komaeda followed Hinata, holding his hand. Hinata gave Komaeda a questioning look. The kitsune had always been physically affectionate but now was on a different level. 

“I’m going to need both my hands to cook,” Hinata gestured to their linked hands. Komaeda pouted again before his eyes lit up. With a flash of light, Komaeda was in his fox form, clinging to Hinata’s shirt. 

Hinata scrambled to secure the fox in his hold. As soon as Komaeda was secure, the fox climbed onto Hinata’s shoulders and laid down. Hinata sighed. It looked like he would have to cook with a fox on his shoulders. 

Hinata grabbed ingredients to make something simple. He realized that he was getting better at cooking. Before meeting Komaeda he would barely eat and when he did eat he would buy it. As soon as Komaeda had started to live with him he started cooking more. Hinata smiled to himself. 

Komaeda’s gentle purrs continued as Hinata cooked. The student was glad that the fox knew how to keep his perch so he didn’t have to worry about him falling off. When he was finished, he grabbed the plates and put them on the table. 

“Alright time to get off,” Hinata said as he grabbed the fox off his shoulders. Komaeda squealed as he was placed on the ground. With another flash of light, Komaeda was back in his human form gripping Hinata’s hand. 

Hinata shook his head in exasperation. It would be fine if they ate while holding hands, right? That wasn't too intimate, right?

Hinata tried to act annoyed as he pulled two chairs next to each other. Komaeda let out an excited squeal and happily sat down, still holding Hinata’s hand tight. 

Hinata tried to be clean while he ate but it was hard with only one hand. Komaeda didn’t seem to mind, still purring and eating the food Hinata prepared. He smiled after every bite. 

“My food isn’t that good,” Hinata remarked as he watched the kitsune eat. Komaeda tilted his head. 

“I like it because Hinata-Kun made it,” Komaeda’s voice was so sincere that it immediately made Hinata blush and look away. He didn’t understand how the kitsune could say those things without feeling embarrassed. 

When they were both finished, Hinata put their plates in the sink, knowing he wouldn’t be able to wash them with Komaeda still holding his hand. Hinata was still concerned over how Komaeda was acting, but he couldn’t think of any reason for it. 

“Do you wanna watch something?” Hinata asked as he gestured to the tv. Komaeda nodded enthusiastically and allowed Hinata to lead him to the couch. As soon as they were both sitting down, Komaeda latched on to Hinata’s bicep again. 

Hinata randomly picked something to watch and let it startup. He wasn’t planning on paying attention anyways. What he was paying attention to was the kitsune who was latched on to him. 

“I wonder why you don’t remember being young,” Hinata said, trying to start up a conversation. It was always a risk to talk about Komaeda’s past but he couldn’t help feeling curious. 

“I’m not sure. No one told me why. Not like I interacted with many kitsune,” Komaeda sighed. Hinata nodded in understanding. 

“Do you think your parents are worried about you?” Hinata asked. Komaeda nuzzled closer. 

“I don’t know. I don’t think so. If they were then why would they leave me with Enoshima?” Komaeda questioned. Hinata hummed. 

“I can relate. I’ve always had trouble with my parents,” Hinata sighed, the usual feelings of resentment beginning to bubble up. “They were never around growing up. Sometimes I think they forget I exist.”

Komaeda nuzzled closer, trying to comfort Hinata. Hinata sighed. He shouldn’t be thinking of those things. He had a family now. Hinata thought of how sad he was before he met Komaeda and how quickly his life changed. 

The soft pitter-patter of rain sounded from outside. Hinata listened to the mix of the rain and Komaeda’s soft purrs. It was a beautiful sound. A calming sound. 

“You’ve done so much for me,” Hinata whispered. Komaeda tilted his head. “I-I mean… You’ve really changed my life.”

“I doubt that Hinata-Kun. The only effect I would have on your life would be to drag-,” Hinata covered his mouth again. 

“None of that. We’re stopping that,” Hinata said. Hinata removed his hand but before Komaeda could say anything else they were interrupted by the loud sound of thunder. 

The thunder was almost completely drowned out by Komaeda’s squeal of fear. Before Hinata could do anything, there was a flash of light and Hinata watched as the white fox vanished into the hallway. 

“Komaeda!” Hinata got up and chased after him. The only door that was open in the hallway was to their room so that was the only place Komaeda could be. He looked around the room, but Komaeda was nowhere. 

A soft whining sound from under their bed notified Hinata. Hinata got on to all fours and peered under the bed. In the corner of the room, there was a blanket with a lump underneath. 

“Komaeda, what’s wrong?” Hinata asked. The only answer he received was whining. “Come out. It’s okay.”

Komaeda didn’t move from his spot. The loud sound of thunder happened again and Komaeda squealed in fear and seemed to curl up more under the blanket. Realization dawned on Hinata. 

“Are you scared of the thunder?” Hinata asked. Komaeda continued whining pathetically. Hinata sighed. The fox wouldn’t come out on his own. He had no other choice. 

Hinata got on his stomach and dragged himself under his bed. The feeling was uncomfortable since he was a fully grown man but he couldn’t leave Komaeda alone. Hinata crawled his way to the blanket and lifted it. Komaeda was curled up, his ears pressed against his head in fear and his fur was fluffed up. 

“It’s okay Komaeda. It’s only thunder. It won’t hurt you,” Hinata cooed. Komaeda continued shaking and whining. Hinata sighed. He wouldn’t be getting out from under this bed anytime soon. 

Hinata began to gently pet Komaeda. His fur was just as soft as ever. Another rumble of thunder made Komaeda whine loudly once more. 

“There’s no reason to be afraid,” Hinata whispered. Komaeda didn’t look convinced. Hinata gently put his arm around the fox and pulled him close. Komaeda nuzzled into Hinata’s neck, whining. 

“Yeah, I know you’re scared. It’s okay,” Hinata said. Komaeda was still shivering, but it wasn’t as violent as before. “You know I’ll protect you right? Why don’t we get out from under the bed?”

Komaeda shook his head and burrowed closer. Hinata didn’t say anything and instead continued to pet the fox. He knew that Komaeda wouldn’t be coming out for a while. 

Hinata didn’t know how much time passed under the bed. The whole time he continued to pet the fox and cooed to him when thunder sounded out. He knew he would stay under the bed for as long as Komaeda needed but it was starting to get really uncomfortable. 

“I’m definitely not meant to fit under here,” Hinata laughed softly. Komaeda looked up at him and then to the edge of the bed. There was a lull in the thunder. Hinata’s eyes widened when the little fox began wandering to the edge of the bed. 

Hinata slowly pulled himself out from under the bed and groaned in relief when he got up. During the time that Hinata was getting out from under the bed, Komaeda had turned into his human form. He looked extremely uncomfortable, his hands nervously messing with his tail. As soon as Hinata was standing up Komaeda spoke. 

“How are you so calm about this?” Komaeda asked, his eyes wide. “The sky’s breaking again!” 

Hinata’s eyes widened. Komaeda didn’t understand what was happening. He thought that the storm was dangerous. 

“That’s not what’s happening Komaeda. Thunder and lightning happen all the time. They can’t harm you unless you’re really unlucky,” Hinata laughed. He realized that was a mistake when he saw Komaeda’s scared look. “E-Even if you are unlucky we’re inside so we’re safe.”

“But all the animals hid last time,” Komaeda murmured. Hinata felt a mix of sadness and anger as Komaeda finished speaking. Komaeda’s first experience with a storm was when he was alone in the wild. 

“They wanted to shelter from the storm but it’s not dangerous,” Hinata said. Komaeda looked at him, his eyes searching to see if Hinata was telling the truth. He seemed to find what he was looking for. 

“The sound is loud,” Komaeda mumbled. Hinata smiled at him and ruffled his hair. He glanced at the time and was surprised to see it was already late. 

“Do you think you can sleep?” Hinata asked. Komaeda fiddled with his tail more but nodded. Hinata smiled at him. 

“It’s alright. I’ll protect you.”

The two of them quickly changed into their nightclothes and crawled into the bed. Komaeda’s tail was still fluffed up and he was clearly on edge. Another rumble of thunder made Komaeda yelp and cover his ears. 

“It’s alright. It won’t hurt you,” Hinata whispered as he tried to calm the kitsune. A flash of light signaled Komaeda’s transformation. Hinata expected him to bolt under the bed again. He didn’t expect him to crawl into his shirt. 

“H-Hey!” Hinata blurted out, feeling thoroughly embarrassed. Komaeda didn’t seem to hear him as he continued to burrow into Hinata’s shirt. 

The fox seemed to find a comfortable place and grew still. Hinata sighed. Even if this was embarrassing it was better than Komaeda not getting any sleep. 

“Night I guess,” Hinata sighed. Komaeda’s only response was to nuzzle closer. The weight of the fox on his chest was strangely soothing. He could tell Komaeda was safe when he was so close. 

Hinata blushed. If Komaeda was in his human form he would definitely not be comfortable. Well, specific parts of him wouldn’t be comfortable. Hinata cleared the thought from his head. 

Hinata felt Komaeda’s breath even out as he slowly fell asleep. Hinata smiled. Knowing Komaeda felt safe with him always made him feel giddy. 

Hinata fell asleep slowly. His mind was only on the fox that was sleeping peacefully on top of him. He hoped that things would always be like this. 

That he could be happy with Komaeda forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boyfriend clothes are a bit big on him  
> 


End file.
